


The Blackest Night

by rayofillusion



Series: A Ghost from the Past [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hate Sex, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Sex, Love/Hate, Older Woman/Younger Woman, Smut, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rayofillusion/pseuds/rayofillusion
Summary: Everything was going to be okay. She wasn’t here, she wasn’t here anymore, she was gone like so many others, she-“Minister Granger, huh ? It’s got a nice ring to it, pet.”Her breath hitched and a shiver shot up her spine upon hearing that husky and sultry voice that she hadn’t heard in so many years.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Series: A Ghost from the Past [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1992499
Comments: 62
Kudos: 372





	1. An Unusual Evening

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at some Bellamione. It was supposed to be a short one-shot but I got carried away so I had to split it into three parts. It's also my first time writing something this long and English isn't my mother tongue, so I apologise in advance for any typos/mistakes. Let me know what you think.

_Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day ?_

_Thou art more lovely and more temperate :_

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_

_And summer’s lease hath all too short a date :_

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,_

_And often is his gold complexion dimm’d ;_

_And every fair from fair sometime declines,_

_By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d ;_

_But thy eternal summer shall not fade_

_Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st ;_

_Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,_

_When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st ;_

_So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,_

_So long lives this, and this gives life to thee._

Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare

**October 14, 2010 – Ministry of Magic, London**

Hermione briskly walked along the corridors of the Ministry, carrying a thick folder in her arms. She had just had a late meeting with the Auror Office upon Harry’s request – he had recently become Head Auror and wanted to talk to her about some eventual threats – and it was getting quite late.

She looked at her watch : it was a quarter past nine. The Ministry was eerily quiet : _everyone must have gone back to their homes by now_ , she thought to herself as she reached level one. Harry had insisted she come to Grimmauld Place to have dinner with him, Ginny, and James, their son, but she had declined, saying she had some more work to do before she went back home. Besides, Ron was probably already home by now and waiting for her.

To no one’s surprise, her and Ron had started dating after the end of the war, and both him and Harry had been offered a position within the Auror Office and had started their training shortly after. However, Ron had soon left to manage Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes for some time : George had been devastated after Fred’s unfortunate demise at the Battle of Hogwarts, everyone had, and he had needed a helping hand. It was originally supposed to be temporary, Ron had said he would resume his Auror training once things got better, but in the end, he had decided to permanently work there as he found he quite enjoyed the peace that came with it and didn’t fancy chasing after dark wizards anymore.  
Meanwhile, she had gone back to Hogwarts to attain her N.E.W.T.s and had then started working at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, continuing her work with S.P.E.W. They had then decided to move in together and had bought a quaint house on the outskirts of London.

She took out her wand and unlocked the door, next to which was a golden plate that said “Hermione J. Granger – Minister for Magic”, and walked into her office. She had been elected Minister for Magic two years ago after being Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and helping Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had been Minister then, eradicate laws that once favoured purebloods. She was the youngest Minister to be elected : she had been 29.

She sighed as she set down the heavy file on her desk and took off her navy blue blazer, hanging it on the coat rack next to the door. She had so much work to do and it was already starting to be so late. Her and Ron would have their umpteenth argument if she worked past midnight again and went back home very late. That had been happening quite a lot recently. Her becoming Minister for Magic had put a strain on their relationship even though no one suspected, and she had come to find that Ron actually held on to some pureblood traditions and values and would rather she spend more time at home and not put work above all else, especially not her boyfriend, or husband as he kept insinuating. But frankly, she was in no rush to get married.

She would have to make it quick. She rolled her head and shoulders and walked over to her desk. She sat down on the revolving chair and pulled the thick file that she had brought with her towards her. She flipped it open and her eyes quickly moved over the content of the sheet of paper : Harry had compiled all the pieces of information that they had on any unusual activity similar to ones which happened when Voldemort was still alive.

Voldemort. She shuddered at the name. The war had ended twelve years ago, and yet, she still got chills whenever she thought back on those god-awful years. They had all sacrificed and lost so much ; they had lost so many people – family, friends, mere acquaintances – and they had also lost a huge part of themselves in the process. Her eyes drifted to the rusty gold picture frame that stood on the right side of her desk and which contained a picture of her and her parents when she was five.

Shortly after graduating from Hogwarts, she had gone to Australia to find her parents and restore their memories. Harry and Ron had offered to accompany her but she had insisted this was something she needed to do on her own. She had spent weeks after weeks looking for her parents across the country and when she had finally managed to find where they lived, she had been surprised to see the place empty and without a single trace of them, only to find out from one of the neighbours that they had decided to move somewhere else one day and had never been seen again. No one knew where they were.

She had eventually resorted to asking the Australian Ministry of Magic for help but they couldn’t do much since her parents were muggles and Australia hadn’t been affected by Voldemort’s reign of terror. Out of desperation, she had reached out to Shacklebolt, who had been appointed Minister the previous year, but he had also regretfully told her there was nothing the British Ministry could do as they couldn’t meddle with another country’s affairs and she had already contacted the Ministry there.

She had been so confident she could find them and restore their memories when she had first made the decision to Obliviate them, and she had taken a heavy blow that day. She had been utterly devastated and no one had been able to console her and provide some relief, not even Harry and Ginny. And not even Ron. She had no family anymore, she was like an orphan, and on top of that she had lost so many friends during the war, Tonks being one of them, and it had been hard. Pulling herself back together and rebuilding herself had been so hard. And she had also lost…

Her left forearm tingled and she closed her eyes. Her heart painfully constricted in her chest and her bottom lip quivered. Not again, she thought as she slowly opened her eyes back up and started rolling up the sleeve of her white button-up, revealing her left forearm. And the eight-letter word carved onto it. _Mudblood_. She usually covered it up with a Glamour Charm but it must’ve worn off. Tears gradually welled up in her eyes as she started tracing each letter with shaky fingers.

The scar had hurt for months after the Battle of Hogwarts, it had been so excruciatingly painful that it had made it impossible for her to get some sleep on some nights. And no matter how many potions she had taken, the pain hadn’t lessened even just a little. And she had foolishly thought that _she_ was still… that there was a possibility that…

Until one day, the pain had completely faded away and only slightly tingled from time to time.

She shook her head. This wasn’t the time to dwell on the past ; it had been twelve years, she needed to move on. She had so much work to do. “Get it together, Hermione,” she muttered and focused on the words on the paper. She would just quickly go over what Harry had written down and would review it more carefully tomorrow. She looked over at the grandfather clock on the wall : it was half past nine. She deeply sighed. She could feel a headache coming on and slowly rubbed her temples before rolling her shoulders and starting to read the first few lines.

***

She hadn’t been reading for long when she suddenly felt like she was being watched. She put her finger down on the segment she had been reading and looked up.

She quickly scanned her office looking for anything out of the ordinary and sighed when she didn’t see anything. She was probably just tired ; she tended to be quite skittish when she was. She looked over at the grandfather clock again : it was five past ten. _Shit_ , she thought. She had been reading for the past thirty minutes and it definitely hadn’t felt like it. She’d better go home now, she really was starting to get tired and she didn’t want to keep Ron waiting any longer.

She put the sheets of papers she had scattered across her desk back into the file, snapping it shut, and bent down to retrieve her bag. She made to put the file in her bag, unclasping it, when a strong scent crept up her nose and she froze. Her bag and the file fell out of her hands, sending the papers flying.

The all too familiar scent – cinnamon, pine trees and fresh rain – assaulted all of her senses, so much so that her knees would’ve buckled underneath her and she would’ve fallen if she wasn’t already sitting down. She grasped the edge of her desk in an attempt to ground herself. This couldn’t be happening. It hadn’t for years.

Holding her breath, she slowly raised her head and her eyes darted to every corner of the room, looking for the source of the intoxicating smell. And her breath caught in her throat when she saw a dark figure standing in the corner of her office at the angle that the bookshelf formed.

Her eyes went down to black heeled boots, up to a black skirt, with swirling patterns across it, to shapely hips, and a leather corset. She could feel her breath start to quicken, and her pulse beat rapidly. Up her eyes went to a pale neck, around which was a bird skull necklace, to ruby-red lips, which smirked in that haughty way she knew so well, to high cheekbones, and finally to a pair of dark eyes that were intensely looking at her. Eyes that always hid more than they revealed.

This couldn’t be real. It wasn’t real. Her lack of sleep was definitely getting to her and making her see things that weren’t there, things that _couldn’t_ be there. It was _impossible_. Too many times she had seen the same dark figure standing just at the outskirts of her vision ; most of the time, the figure had just merely looked at her in silence, and other times, they had gotten close, to the point where she could smell them, but still not close enough that she could touch them. Not that she hadn’t tried to.

One time many years ago, she had finally mustered the courage to reach out and tuck one of the stray curls out of the figure’s face like she had done so many times before, only for her hand to go through the figure and grasp at the air. She had been utterly crushed and had made no more effort to engage with the figure in any way after that one time. She had merely ignored them, or at least tried to as much as she could. This time though, she wouldn’t fall for it ; it was just a trick of her imagination as always, and she knew better.

So, she looked away and took a deep breath – her therapist had advised her to do breathing exercises when she was on the verge of a panic attack – and breathed out. Everything was going to be okay. _She_ wasn’t here, _she_ wasn’t here anymore, _she_ was gone like so many others, _she_ -

“Minister Granger, huh ? It’s got a nice ring to it, pet.”

Her breath hitched and a shiver shot up her spine upon hearing that husky and sultry voice that she hadn’t heard in so many years. That voice which had once caused her to feel so much dread and apprehension. That voice she had come to somehow enjoy and love over the course of time. That voice which could spit so much venom, distaste, and hatred and have people cowering away, but which could also be so uncharacteristically gentle and soft when addressing the few people she cared for and loved. That voice which had surprisingly whispered sweet nothings in her ear when she had needed some reassurance and comfort.

Her head snapped to where the raven-haired woman was standing, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Bellatrix.

At once, a series of memories she had repressed for years and had made a conscious effort to avoid thinking about assaulted her mind, and she started shaking.


	2. A Look Into the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into what happened between Hermione and Bellatrix during the war.
> 
> Don't hate me for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments and kudos, it means a lot! This chapter is quite long, so I hope you enjoy it.

_I remember it all_

_Like it was yesterday_

_Could’ve been a dream or_

_Was it something different ?_

_Standing here alone_

_I know it was worth it_

_The sleepless nights_

_The days went on and on and on_

_And you disappeared into somewhere else_

_Now I’m all alone_

_But I’ll always remember_

_I’ll always remember us_

Corridors of Time, Annie

_Narcissa hesitated for a moment, then addressed the werewolf._

_“Take them down to the cellar, Greyback.”_

_Greyback moved towards them and was about to grab them when Bellatrix’s voice stopped them._

_“Wait,” she said sharply. “All except… except for the Mudblood.”_

_Hermione felt all the blood drain from her face and her heart jerk hard in her chest just then, and heard Greyback give a grunt of pleasure. She also heard Ron shout something and Lestrange snap at him but she felt too numb to listen to what they were saying._

_She was brought out of her haze when she saw Bellatrix take out a silver dagger from its holster and start to move towards her. Hermione instinctively took a step back and flinched when Bellatrix roughly grabbed her and flicked the dagger through the bonds, freeing her. She then whimpered when she felt the dark witch’s boney hand sink into her hair and drag her to the middle of the room, cutting her free from the rest of the group. She caught a brief glimpse of her friends being pushed out of the room, but her attention was quickly brought back to the dark-haired witch who was holding her._

_Bellatrix merely stared at her through narrowed eyes and didn’t say anything, as though she was considering what she was going to do with her. She bit her tongue so as not to groan when she felt her hand tighten in her hair and pull her head back._

_“You know,” she began. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you. The brain behind Potter’s survival. Potter’s right hand. Top of her class. The supposed Brightest Witch of her Age. Such a shame that a mudblood like yourself inherited my title.” Then Bellatrix’s face moved closer to hers. “Now, mudblood, if you’re as clever as they say, you know it will be in your best interest to comply unless you want your little friends to die.” Hermione’s stomach plummeted. “Where did you get the sword ?” she whispered in a sickly sweet voice._

_“I- no-”_

_Bellatrix growled and suddenly threw her to the floor. “Let’s do this the hard way then, shall we ?”_

_And before Hermione could so much as blink, a flash of red light had come out of the dark-haired witch’s curved wand, hitting her in the chest, and she was suddenly overcome with excruciating pain. She felt like her muscles were being pulled from all sides and like her nerve endings were on fire. She heard herself let out an agonising scream and also heard Bellatrix scream something at her. She felt like the pain went on forever, draining her of her every sense and thought._

_And when the curse was finally lifted, she was shaking and panting. Bellatrix was crouched over her, curiously looking down at her through heavy-lidded eyes and her lips pursed into a frown, her back to the other people in the drawing room._

_”Perhaps you’ll be more cooperative now that you’ve had a taste of what’s to come, so let’s try again, mudblood : where did you find the sword ? How did you get into my vault and what else did you and your friends take ?”_

_Hermione shook her head. “We found it. I swear, please, please-”_

_Bellatrix snarled. She swiftly threw one leg over her hip and straddled her, bringing them closer. Hermione froze and stared into piercing dark eyes. She could feel the woman’s corset-covered stomach move to her breathing. She further bent over her, her crazy torrent of hair covering them both in a dark curtain, and pressed her wand into her neck._

_“You are lying, filthy mudblood, and I know it ! What else did you… and your friends… TAKE FROM MY VAULT ?!” the woman suddenly howled._

_“Nothing ! NOTHING ! Please, PLEASE, I-”_

_The woman’s other hand painfully dug into her shoulder and she suddenly brought her face closer to her ear again, her lips almost touching it._

_“Play the part, mudblood. I can get you and your friends out of here.”_

_Hermione had been about to protest again and deny the woman’s claims when she realised what she had just said, and froze. What ? Had she heard correctly ? Surely the woman was toying with her and tricking her into a false sense of security. But she had said that quietly, so quietly that no one else but her could’ve heard. Bellatrix’s nails digging more into her shoulder snapped her out of her momentary haze and she stared back at her. The woman raised an eyebrow and her eyes flashed._

_Against her better judgment, Hermione nodded and the woman’s grip on her shoulder lessened._

_“_ _Crucio.”_

_***_

_“How did you find me ?” she asked, pointing her wand at the raven-haired witch._

_“That’s not a nice welcome now, is it ? Have your filthy Muggle parents not taught you any manners ?” Bellatrix asked, clicking her tongue in disapproval._

_Hermione had been sitting at the top of the sand hill looking over the sea. They had arrived to Shell Cottage a few days ago and she had taken to spending some time here at night when everyone else was asleep. Fleur had seen her sneaking out one night and had decided to give her some space after telling her to be careful and not wander too much. On those nights, she would just sit at the same spot until the early hours of the morning, staring ahead and twirling the stolen curved wand over and over again in her hands. Her thoughts were occupied._

_On most days, Fleur tended to both Ollivander, who was very weak after months of imprisonment at Malfoy Manor, and Griphook, the goblin who had been on the run with Ted Tonks and Dean Thomas. Luna was fine ; she had been roughed up a bit but she said the Death Eaters had mostly left her alone, and so she spent most of her time with Dean. And Harry and Ron were trying to come up with a way to break into Gringotts. They now knew that Voldemort had possibly entrusted Bellatrix with a potential Horcrux, if the woman’s panic at Malfoy Manor was anything to go by._

_Bellatrix._

_To Hermione’s confusion, the woman had indeed helped them escape but it had come with a cost. She had still tortured her, though the curse hadn’t been as strong as the first few times (she had later marvelled at her ability to control the curse), and worse yet, she had carved the word ‘Mudblood’ on her left forearm. Hermione knew at the back of her mind that Bellatrix had done this so the other people in the room – namely her sister, nephew, and brother-in-law – wouldn’t suspect anything, but it had still been agonising and she had felt like her entire arm had been split open and lit on fire._

_But the raven-haired witch had helped them in the end. Ron had disarmed Bellatrix at some point, which had prompted the witch to hold Hermione at knifepoint to bait both Harry and Ron, and she had quietly told Hermione to lean against her. The reason for that had been very unclear to Hermione then, but she now knew why : while cleaning up after arriving at Shell Cottage, she had noticed a few strands of dark and grey hair on her clothes. Bellatrix had given them the means to access her vault at Gringotts ; she must’ve known somehow that they had access to Polyjuice Potion._

_Their escape had also been aided by her : she had felt the witch push her towards the boys when Dobby had come to their rescue and made the chandelier fall on them. But she had also ended up killing Dobby in the process._

_Hermione had been bewildered by her behaviour, and still was. Bellatrix prided herself in being Voldemort’s Best Lieutenant, his most faithful Death Eater, so why had she suddenly decided to help them ? This question had been on her mind ever since their escape from Malfoy Manor and she had been unable to find a satisfying and logical answer._

_And here the woman was now, standing a few feet from her and looking at her beneath the hood she was wearing. Was this an ambush ? The fact that she had somehow easily found them and broken through the protective wards should alert her, but Hermione curiously didn’t feel like the woman was going to attack even though Hermione was pointing her wand – well, Bellatrix’s wand – at her. She had merely been taken aback by her sudden presence, and she knew that any attempts to attack the dark-haired witch would be unsuccessful : her wand was quite unyielding and would undoubtedly refuse to attack its owner._

_Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. “Again, what do you want, Lestrange ?” she hissed._

_“Now, now, no need to get so feisty, mudblood.” The scar on Hermione’s arm prickled at that. “I could feel you have so many questions and I, being so generous, came to provide some answers.”_

_She stopped to gauge Hermione’s reaction but carried on seeing that she wasn’t going to confirm her claim._

_“See, one would say that I’m mad as a hatter,” Hermione snorted at that and Bellatrix’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “and that all logic left me after Azkaban, but I’m far from stupid and can see quite clearly that the war isn’t going in our favour and the Dark Lord’s reaction after your escape only confirmed that. I can see things for what they really are and have no desire to go back to Azkaban, so I came to make an offer.” Hermione’s interest piqued at that. “I will provide you with useful information and will not aim to kill during the Final Battle, you and I both know it will happen soon, as long as you promise to keep my sister and nephew safe once everything is over. You can do what you want with Lucius, he’s not any of my concern.”_

_Hermione stared at her for a moment before she threw her head back and burst out laughing. Bellatrix willingly betraying Voldemort ? This was so unlikely and ridiculous._

_“And you expect me to believe this after what you’ve done ?”_

_Bellatrix bristled and reached her in a few short strides. “Don’t test my patience, muddy. I will help you and will not kill anyone on your side as long as you accept my conditions.” she hissed._

_Hermione didn’t know what got into her but suddenly blurted out, “You’re telling me you want to join our side, and you can’t even use my name. God, how do you expect me to believe you ?”_

_Bellatrix growled and grew more agitated as she stared at Hermione, her eyes darting across her face. She seemed to have an internal struggle with herself for a moment as her brows furrowed in frustration and her fists clenched and unclenched._

_“Come now, Granger,” Hermione’s breath hitched in her throat at the mention of her name and she could only stare, dumbfounded, as the woman continued. “Aren’t you supposed to be the Brightest Witch of Your Age ? Imagine how many lives you could save, I’m the best duellist after the Dark Lord, no one has ever defeated me.” She leaned forward, her face inches from her own. “Are you really going to say no to that, Granger ? I thought you were smarter than this.” She chuckled._

_Hermione’s stomach did a somersault at the sound. It was the first time she was hearing the woman’s natural laugh as opposed to her usual cruel cackle and it was nice to hear. The woman could be quite charismatic when she wanted to and definitely knew how to use her good looks to persuade people into doing what she wanted. Because yes, her lengthy stint in Azkaban had definitely taken a toll on her, but there was no denying she still retained some of the greatness of the Blacks’ inherent beauty, and- wait what ? Where were all these thoughts suddenly coming from ? She shook her head and flushed upon noticing Bellatrix’s knowing smirk._

_Bellatrix was right. The woman before her might be a raving lunatic who could kill you at the drop of a hat, but there was no denying she was a force to be reckoned with, and only a fool would refuse such an offer, no matter how dangerous. They could definitely save a lot of lives if the witch was on their side._

_She was brought out of her thoughts by Bellatrix’s exasperated sigh. “I don’t have all night, mud- Granger.”_

_Hermione knew what she was about to do was extremely foolish and risky, and Harry and Ron would probably admonish her if they knew, but she didn’t want to lose any more people. She could stop that._

_So she nodded._

_Bellatrix took a few steps back. “Splendid,” you could hear the irony in her voice. “I shall contact you again.”_

_The raven-haired witch turned to leave when Hermione suddenly caught her sleeve, making her come to a halt. She turned to her, looked down at the hand on her arm, and raised an eyebrow. Hermione immediately removed her hand._

_“W-wait,” Hermione croaked, reaching in her pocket and taking out two coins. She quickly cast a charm over them and handed one to Bellatrix, who took it and looked at it with a confused expression on her face. “We- um… it would be easier to communicate this way if we need to… um, meet up… I’m sure you know how it works.” she said hesitantly._

_Bellatrix looked at her for a moment before she nodded and left without another word._

_***_

_Hermione closed the drawer with a huff and hurried to one of the cabinets on her left, rummaging through it. The battle was in full swing and she had hurried to the Potions classroom in the dungeons, taking down a few Death Eaters on her way. She knew that many people would be wounded, and she wanted to stock up on as many healing potions as possible – she still had a few left in her charmed bag but she feared it wouldn’t be enough. She quickly grabbed a few bottles here and there – Blood Replenishing Potion, Calming Draught, Murtlap Essence, Essence of Dittany – and threw them in her bag._

_She looked around the Potions classroom, wondering if she should check a few more drawers and cabinets in case she found more potions, when she noticed a cauldron with steam coming out of it on one of the tables at the front of the classroom. She could hear the commotion above and should probably hurry and join Ron or the Order of the Phoenix, but she felt oddly drawn to the cauldron so she took a few steps forward._

_Once she was close enough, she unconsciously took a deep breath and a heavy fragrance – parchment, cinnamon, fresh rain, pine needles, and a hint of honey - instantly invaded her nostrils. This was Amortentia, she realised. But up until that point, the potion had smelt of new parchment, freshly mown grass, and spearmint toothpaste, and now four new smells had replaced the latter two. She frowned ; the smell reminded her of something but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly._

_She suddenly heard a loud thud coming from the passageway and hurriedly grabbed the lid to cover the cauldron. Having the love potion on display like this would be quite risky if some people somehow ended up fighting here and got affected by whatever smell came out of the cauldron._

_She had just put the lid over the cauldron when she heard the door to the classroom creak open and close, making her tense and grip her wand. She internally cursed herself for being so reckless and coming down here in the first place, thus separating herself from the rest. She readied herself to curse whoever had entered the classroom when she heard heels click against the floor and a husky voice speak._

_“It’s just me, pet.”_

_Hermione let out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding and relaxed her stance. She turned around and faced the dark witch who was standing a few feet from her._

_“What are you doing here, Bella ? Someone could see you.”_

_She had long stopped asking her how she always managed to find exactly where she was. She would simply not tell her, though Hermione had started to develop her own theory : she suspected the scar on her left forearm connected her to the dark witch on some level, but she hadn’t voiced her suspicions to her yet. She knew the woman wouldn’t confirm her claims._

_“Don’t worry your pretty little head over it. The door is locked and I made sure to dispose of any unwanted presence.”_

_Oh, so that was what the thud she had heard was. “What do you mean you disposed of them ? Who’s ’them’ ? What did you-”_

_“A few fifth-year students.” At Hermione’s stricken look, she added, “Relax, I just knocked them unconscious.”_

_“You could’ve killed them.” Hermione added in a small voice._

_“Of course.” she scoffed and shrugged nonchalantly, but her gaze rested on her thoughtfully for a few moments before she came closer. “But I made you a promise, didn’t I ? And you would never forgive me if I did that now, would you, pet ?”_

_A wild shiver ran through Hermione at the term of endearment. There was possessiveness in the way she said it, but also some kind of fondness. Unbeknownst to Harry and Ron, she had met up with the witch again after that first night at Shell Cottage, and the woman had gone from calling her ‘mudblood’ to ‘muddy’, to ‘Granger’ before finally settling on ‘pet.’ In the weeks leading up to their break in the Lestrange vault, she had provided some help and advice as to how Hermione should act when she would parade as her in Diagon Alley and Gringotts, and had also shared some of her knowledge with her, though she had been hesitant at first._

_On those nights, she had learnt a lot on the raven-haired witch and had come to enjoy her company, much to Hermione’s astonishment. Most people thought her to be utterly insane, void of any humanity after having Dementors eat away at her mind for fourteen years – make no mistake, she had still done some terrible things – but underneath that carefully-constructed facade was someone who was incredibly intelligent, fiercely loyal (to a fault, perhaps) and protective of those she cared for and loved.  
Along the way, they had formed a tentative friendship, which had started to turn into something else lately. Bellatrix was fascinating in many ways and Hermione couldn’t explain it if prompted. There was just something about the dark witch that drew her in, and she knew she was treading on dangerous ground. _

_She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Bellatrix’s cold hand on the side of her neck, her thumb stroking lightly. Hermione felt a sudden fluttering in her belly and a tingling along the skin that Bellatrix’s thumb was caressing._

_“Am I wrong, pet ?”_

_Hermione blushed. “No, I suppose not. I wouldn’t.” she said, holding her head up and meeting her gaze with a cheeky smile._

_She watched as Bellatrix’s mouth widened into a cheshire smile. “Thought so,” she said, invading her personal space. She took a beat, her breath ghosting over her lips, then whispered, “I’m always right.”_

_“Is that so ?” Hermione challenged, her pulse beating rapidly._

_“Uh-huh.” the raven-haired witch breathed, leaning more into Hermione and snaking a hand around her waist._

_A curl of dark hair fell across her eyes, and Hermione felt the sudden urge to brush it away. She placed one hand on Bellatrix’s shoulder and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear, her hand coming in contact with the dark witch’s soft alabaster skin. She felt the other woman let out a soft breath and Hermione could only watch as their faces got closer and closer, her eyes flickering between her eyes and her lips. She slowly closed her eyes, leaning into her as well, and took a deep breath. Bellatrix’s smell entirely enveloped her._

_Her eyes snapped open. Wait a second. What she smelt in Amortentia was… it was… it was purely Bellatrix herself. It couldn’t be. Was she in love with Bellatrix ? She broke into a cold sweat and put a shaky hand on the raven-haired witch’s chest, stopping her. Surprised, Bellatrix leaned back a little and frowned._

_“What is it ?” the woman asked, carefully watching her._

_“N-nothing.” she croaked out. She coughed. “Nothing.” she said more firmly and then looked away, trying to focus on something else other than Bellatrix. She was scared the dark witch would just see right through her and mock her. She was an accomplished Legilimens after all._

_She gasped when Bellatrix suddenly grabbed her chin and turned her face towards her. “Spit it out, Granger.” she said through narrowed eyes. “And don’t lie.” Bellatrix’s gaze was so piercing that she was stripped bare and afraid for one second that she already knew._

_Hermione tensed and was suddenly reminded of that night at Malfoy Manor and how terrifying Bellatrix could be when she wanted to. But she couldn’t possibly tell her what was on her mind. It would just scare her off, she was so sure of it ; the woman wasn’t good with emotions and it would just ruin whatever progress they had made. This wasn’t the right moment._

_Hermione squared her shoulders. “Ugh, honestly it’s nothing, Bella. Let it go. This isn’t the right time.” Then she added in a small voice, “Please.”_

_Bellatrix considered her for a moment. Her eyes flickered between hers for a moment and her left hand twitched, but she slowly regained control of herself and her eyes softened. She let go of her chin and huffed. “Fine.”_

_Hermione sighed with relief and tentatively took the other woman’s hand in hers. “Surely, there’s a reason you came here. Is there something you wanted to tell me ?”_

_The older woman looked at their hands for a second and squeezed lightly before pulling away. “Yes, yes.” she said and crossed her arms. “The Dark Lord will soon bring the fighting to a halt and tell the Boy-Who-Just-Won’t-Die” Hermione swatted at her arm at that “to come meet him in the Forbidden Forest before midnight so he can ‘meet his fate’. You might want to let him know, I suppose.” she finished and looked away, raising her chin slightly._

_Hermione sighed : she knew it would come down to this, but having it said out loud just made it all the more real. But if her hunch was right, it would go well and they would still have a chance to win. If not… she dreaded to think what that entailed._

_She looked back at Bellatrix and smiled, leaning against the table behind her. “You know, you could’ve just used the coin to alert me. You didn’t have to come all the way down here.”_

_Bellatrix’s head snapped back at her and her eyes sparkled with mirth. “I know. Are you complaining ?”_

_“Can’t say I am.” she answered back playfully. Bellatrix chuckled and shook her head._

_Neither of them said anything more. They just stared at each other in complete silence. Hermione awkwardly shuffled her feet against the stone floor under her gaze. She cleared her voice. “Well, I’d better go then.”_

_“Yes.” Bellatrix agreed._

_“Okay, then. See you around… I guess.” Hermione mumbled. Bellatrix smirked._

_She started heading for the door and had just walked past Bellatrix when she suddenly felt her grab her arm and spin her around._

_“Wh- Hmph !” She had no time to react because Bellatrix had just pressed her lips to hers, placing one hand on Hermione’s cheek and the other digging into her hair. She shuddered. This wasn’t their first kiss, but it still took her breath away. Especially because Bellatrix had been the one to reach out this time. It took her a few seconds to regain her senses, but she was overcome by inducement when the dark witch’s kiss grew in intensity, and Hermione’s hand fastened around her slender neck while the other clutched at her waist and she pressed closer against her. She had never been kissed like this before, it was like the other woman was trying to convey everything she couldn’t say through the kiss, and her knees almost buckled underneath her when she felt the tip of her tongue flick against her bottom lip before she caught it between her teeth and gently bit down. Hermione inhaled a shuddering gasp at that and she felt her cheeks turn red at the wet sound their mouths made when they broke away._

_She sucked in needed air and her eyes fluttered when she felt the other witch tuck her hair behind her ear. She then gently placed both of her hands on either side of her face and kissed her chastely. “Don’t get yourself killed, Granger.”_

_Warmth spread in her chest at that and she could hear her heart pounding through every inch of her body. “You too, Lestrange.” she said in a hoarse voice before turning away and heading for the door._

_“Ha, as if.” she heard when she unlocked the door and creaked it open, slipping through it and shooting the dark witch one last look._

_***_

_Chaos reigned in the Great Hall. Everyone had been forced back inside after Neville had sliced off Nagini’s head with the Sword of Gryffindor and the battle had resumed with greater intensity as the giants, centaurs, and other magical creatures had come rushing in the courtyard._

_Harry was nowhere to be seen. One moment, he had been lying on the ground, supposedly dead, at Voldemort’s feet, and the next, he was gone. She didn’t know what he was doing, but she had had no time to dwell on that as she had seen Bellatrix rushing into the Entrance Hall out of the corner of her eye and had gone after her._

_And here she was now, duelling the older woman while the other Death Eaters around them were collapsing one by one. Voldemort was in the centre of the battle and was striking down anyone who was within reach. And out of the corner of her eye, she could see and hear Lucius and Narcissa running through the crowd, screaming for Draco. Bellatrix slightly faltered upon hearing Narcissa calling out for Draco and her eyes briefly darted across the room as she looked for them, but Hermione quickly sent a harmless spell her way to get her attention. It wouldn’t do for the dark witch to get distracted now of all times, especially since she was one of the only Death Eaters still standing._

_The raven-haired witch’s attention snapped back to her and she grinned before casting a quick Protego and firing another curse of her own, licking her lips in anticipation of what spell was to come next. The eldest Black was unrelenting. To an outsider, it might look like the dark witch was out for blood, but Hermione knew and could see that she was actually holding back so as not to gravely hurt her. Though she was intentionally not reaching her full potential, her spells were still powerful enough to propel Hermione a few inches back with every hit and she grunted with effort, a sheen of sweat starting to form on her forehead and back._

_Bellatrix had actually trained her a little when they had met up and had proved to be an excellent teacher, correcting her wand movements and stance so that she could become much faster during her casting. The older witch had shown great patience, which Hermione hadn’t thought her capable of, and she had marvelled at that. It was no wonder that Draco had fooled everyone, even Dumbledore, during their Sixth Year : the dark witch was so knowledgeable and had a good eye for catching each and every gap in your defenses. Hermione had also finally managed to get enough control of Bellatrix’s curved wand as their interactions had shifted from hostile to friendly, but she was still no match. The woman was just too powerful and had far too much experience ; she had been trained by Voldemort himself after all._

_Bellatrix had just fired another curse her way when Hermione felt someone move behind her and Ginny and Luna suddenly appeared on either side of her, the former casting a quick Protego over them, effectively blocking Bellatrix’s spell. She momentarily frowned and met Hermione’s gaze before she threw her head back and cackled heartily._

_Hermione’s stomach plummeted. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, Bella, please.’ she thought as the other woman considered them for a moment before a flash of red light shot from her wand and Luna was blasted backwards. Hermione’s eyes widened and she had been about to slow down Luna’s fall when a bolt of green light simultaneously shot towards them from somewhere behind the dark witch, missing both her and Ginny by an inch._

_Everything after that happened quickly._

_Bellatrix snarled and had slightly turned towards the person who had fired the Killing Curse, and Hermione had no time to react when she and Ginny were suddenly knocked sideways and Mrs Weasley ran past them, throwing off her cloak and freeing her arms._

_“NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH !”_

_Hermione quickly grabbed her wand, which had been knocked out of her hand, and stood up, watching with wide eyes as Bellatrix spun on the spot and roared with laughter upon seeing her new opponent. Molly began to duel with a swipe of her wand and Bellatrix’s mocking grin turned into a snarl as jets of light flew from both of their wands._

_In that moment, Hermione could only see the crazed Bellatrix Lestrange that everyone was so familiar with and she silently prayed that the dark witch wouldn’t end up killing the Weasley matriarch. Bellatrix had promised to not fatally injure anyone, but she knew how much she despised Molly – they had gone to school together and had never gotten along – and she wasn’t sure if she would keep her word in this one instance. And her doubts were quickly confirmed with the raven-haired woman’s next words._

_“What will happen to your children when I’ve killed you ?” she taunted, then took on a childish tone as she continued, “When Mummy’s gone the same way as Freddie ?”_

_“You – will – never – touch – our – children – again !” Mrs Weasley screamed._

_Another spell shot her way and the dark witch twirled away, peering through the strands of her curly dark hair as she blocked the offensive curse with ease. Hermione could see from where she was that her chest was heaving as she breathed and she could tell that Bellatrix was greatly enjoying herself. Hermione, however, was not. Both of them were fighting to kill and she wanted this to end before something terrible happened to either of them. And what terrified her the most was that she didn’t know who she was the most worried about. Bellatrix or Mrs Weasley._

_Hermione’s eyes quickly swept around the Great Hall. Voldemort was now duelling McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley all at once, and hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights – Voldemort and his three opponents, and Bellatrix and Mrs Weasley – with bated breath._

_Her head snapped back to the ongoing fight between Bellatrix and Mrs Weasley when she heard the former cackle and taunt the red-haired witch once again. “Come on, granny, give us your best !” She was standing behind a strong Shield Charm, a sneer on her lips as she observed Mrs Weasley and rolled her eyes at her attempts to break through her defenses._

_However, Bellatrix’s laugh suddenly stilled and Hermione saw her eyes briefly slip to the side before widening slightly as she quickly looked at her. What-_

_“Hermione, watch out !” she heard a few people scream. And she turned just in time to see that a wolf-shaped figure had broken into a sprint and jumped to close the last few feet between them._

_She yelped as she was suddenly blasted against the nearby wall just as sharp claws slashed across her left arm and three bolts of green light hit Greyback in the back. She clenched her jaw, holding herself up against the wall while the beast collapsed next to her. She looked down at the now dead werewolf and then looked up at Ron and Neville, who had their wands directed at the beast lying on the ground. So, that’s where the flashes of green light had come from ; they had been the ones to finally bring him down. But she was sure she had seen a third bolt of light coming from another direction… Where- Who-_

_She was brought out of her thoughts when she suddenly caught green and red lights out of the corner of her eye and she abruptly turned, stifling the scream that almost tore through her lips at the sudden movement._

_The witch was still duelling Mrs Weasley, flinging spells with the wand she was holding in her right hand while her other hand was outstretched, her palm slightly facing Hermione. Realisation dawned on her just as she registered the pain on her left arm. Bellatrix had been the one to cast the third bolt of green light. The woman had saved her life._

_She weakly gasped and the dark witch’s eyes found hers in an instant. And this momentary lapse of attention cost her dearly. Mrs Weasley finally broke through Bellatrix’s defenses and Hermione could only watch in horror as the dark witch’s gloating smile froze and her eyes widened when Mrs Weasley’s curse soared beneath her outstretched arm and hit her directly in the chest._

_Bellatrix looked surprised, terrified even, as her wand fell out of her grip and her hands clutched at her chest, gripping the fabric. Her eyes slowly turned to the Weasley matriarch before snapping back to meet Hermione’s wide eyes, and she slowly stumbled backwards._

_“No…” Hermione muttered breathlessly as she watched the other woman topple to the ground, and a quiet scream tore from her lips when the watching crowd suddenly roared and Voldemort screamed in fury simultaneously._

_The world was buzzing in her ears. It was like time had stopped. She couldn’t look away from the still body lying on the ground._

_She couldn’t breathe. Her mouth opened and a soft whimper came out of it. She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream her name. She wanted to yell at the other woman to get up. She wanted to yell at her to get up and continue fighting. But she was unable to. No sound came out of her mouth. She was completely frozen._

_It couldn’t be. She couldn’t be dead. It was too easy. She was the best duellist the Wizarding World had ever seen, she couldn’t be dead. It was impossible. They had promised each other. She couldn’t leave. No. No. No. No. After everything they had accomplished these past few weeks… No… Bella…_

_Her knees started to buckle underneath her and she tried to stagger forward, towards Bellatrix, but she suddenly felt hands wrap around her shoulder and waist and she was dragged to the side, away from Bellatrix._

_“Mione, are you okay ? Hermione ?” she heard a muffled voice say. She turned her head to the side._

_Ron. It was Ron. She wanted to tell him to let her go. She wanted to yell at him to let her go. But again, no sound came out of her mouth. Her eyes never left Bellatrix’s own glassy eyes as Ron hugged her close to him. Those eyes had looked at her with such warmth and she tried to memorise them. She never wanted to forget. Her mouth opened again and only broken sobs came out of it._

_She felt all strength and energy completely leave her body. The last thing she saw and heard before her body sank into unconsciousness was yells of shock and cheers as Harry suddenly appeared in the centre of the Great Hall and faced Voldemort. And also a few people screaming her name._

_[A few hours later]_

_Hermione slowly walked through the now deserted and ruined corridors of Hogwarts. Everyone had long left the castle after the Final Battle, preferring to rest and recover both physically and psychologically away from the very place that had seen so many losses._

_Some of the less injured had been taken to the Hospital Wing while those who needed intensive care had been transferred to St Mungo’s. Only a few people had decided to remain behind in order to help rebuild the castle over the next few weeks and months. She was one of them. She had decided to stay along with Harry and Ron and they had decided to stay in Gryffindor Tower, which hadn’t been too heavily damaged during the battle._

_The past months’ events, and especially the past day’s events, had come crashing down on all of them and they had all gone to sleep hours ago. But Hermione had been unable to. She had laid in bed, tossing and turning, for most of the night. She couldn’t get the image of the dark witch toppling backwards and Voldemort’s scream of fury out of her head. Her ears still reverberated with it. She had felt it so strongly because she had been unable to scream herself and she had felt so much anguish then – she still did hours later – that her heart hurt._

_So, after hours of lying in bed, she had finally made up her mind and had gotten out of bed, deciding to do the one she had been aching to ever since the end of the Battle. And that was how she found herself purposefully walking through the corridors of the decrepit castle in the middle of night with one destination in mind : the Great Hall._

_She had been advised to rest as much as she could after she had fainted moments before Harry finally defeated Voldemort, but how could she when she was in so much emotional distress and memories constantly assaulted her mind ? Everyone thought that, like the rest of them, she was merely shaken up because of all those they had lost, but they couldn’t even begin to understand what she was feeling and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to share her feelings with the others, especially Harry and Ron. They would never understand and would just call her stupid._

_Hermione stopped before the doors when she reached the Great Hall and closed her eyes. She could do this. She had to. She looked around herself one last time to make sure no one was around, then partially opened the heavy doors, slipping through the gap, and closed them behind her._

_She leaned against the door for a moment and swept the Great Hall with her eyes. The once stunning room was now in shambles and the windows at the front of the Hall had been blasted out, so a gentle breeze blew through and the moonlight lit the room just enough for her to see through the dark ; it was also a bit eerie though, as the lights cast shapes into the shadows that would surely be harmless in the daylight._

_She could feel the destruction for all sides. About fifty bodies covered with white sheets lined the wall on her left : they were the bodies of those who had fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She knew that Tonks, Remus, and Fred were probably somewhere there but she didn’t want to think about it too much. They were going to organise funerals for each of them in the next few days and it was already going to be painful enough. Besides, this wasn’t what she had come here for._

_She looked to her right where other bodies lined the wall in larger numbers. These bodies, however, hadn’t been handled with as much care as the bodies lining the left wall. Whereas the bodies of those who had fought against Voldemort and his followers had been cleaned so there was no trace of blood on them, the bodies of Voldemort’s former Death Eaters had been left alone and carelessly thrown to one side._

_Her eyes raked over the many bodies lying on the ground as she slowly walked to the right side of the Great Hall. Her eyes didn’t linger too much on them, she was only looking for one body and she soon found it._

_Her steps slightly faltered as her eyes first caught a glimpse of a distinctive mane of curly dark hair a few feet from her. She picked up the pace and she soon found herself standing over the pale and still body._

_All air left her body, her lungs numb at the sight of the dark witch’s unmoving body. Her heart cracked, her body now throbbing with each beat of her heart, and she sank down to her knees next to the raven-haired witch. She drew a shuddering breath and looked over Bellatrix._

_Her face had become ash-coloured and her once piercing and mocking eyes, which had grown men cowering away in fear, had become glassy and stared into oblivion._

_She searched for something on Bellatrix’s face. She searched for a sign, anything that would indicate she was just unconscious and not actually… she couldn’t bring herself to say the word. But nothing changed. The older woman didn’t sneer, nor did she blink at all… This wasn’t one of her tricks. It was real._

_Tears welled up in Hermione’s eyes and she reached out a shaky hand and placed it on the witch’s chest. There was no heartbeat. Nothing. The warmth had completely dissipated from her body._

_The dam finally broke at that and her body shook as the sobs came relentlessly and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks, cracking her open from within. She weakly gripped the fabric beneath her fingers and buried her face in Bellatrix’s neck, which was quickly soaked by her tears. The woman’s scent flooded over her, penetrating her senses. She still smelt the same as she did yesterday. She still smelt of cinnamon, pine needles, freshly fallen rain, and honey. And she cried even more, pressing her face closer against Bellatrix’s neck and letting out a few muffled screams filled with utter pain and agony._

_Oh God, how was she going to survive this ? This was worse than anything she had ever felt before ; nothing could compare. Her tears just wouldn’t stop and she felt like she was dying from within. She hadn’t thought it possible to grow attached and care for someone as strongly and quickly as she had with the older woman. This was new to her. And just as she had understood what that new feeling was, the woman had been taken away from her. And no one would know nor believe how much she had helped them these past few weeks._

_She raised her head and wiped her tears away, trying to will herself to stop. She looked down at the dark witch again and she suddenly couldn’t bear to look into her lifeless eyes anymore. She reached out with her other hand and closed the woman’s eyelids. This way, she looked like she was just sleeping. The action caused her body to be wracked with sobs again but this time, the tears had lessened. Yet, they still slipped from the corner of her eyes and slowly ran down her cheeks._

_She snaked her arm around Bellatrix’s slim waist, her hand supporting her body at the centre of her back while her other hand dug into her curly mane, stroking the baby hair on her neck. She tried to bring the former Death Eater’s body closer to her and she bent forward over her body, shielding the older woman against the rest of the world. She pressed her forehead against Bellatrix’s cold cheekbone, the woman’s dark hair muffling her sobs._

_“I…” she hiccuped. “P-please, come back, Bella… I- I love you…” she finished in a broken voice._

_She stilled at that and waited for a potential reaction. And her shoulders slackened when nothing happened. The dark-haired witch didn’t move. Didn’t scoff. Didn’t lash out. She was truly gone._

_Her head throbbed and she was tired. So, so tired. But she didn’t want to leave Bellatrix. She wanted to stay by her side as long as possible, until she absolutely had to let her go. And in that moment, she didn’t think she cared if anyone saw. She didn’t care if anyone saw her holding the former Death Eater. She had hid so much these past few weeks, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. It wasn’t physically possible anymore._

_“Miss Granger ?”_

_She froze. So lost had she been in her own feelings, she hadn’t heard the doors open. She knew that Gaelic accent. Professor McGonagall._

_She slightly turned her head to the side when she heard footsteps coming her way. It was indeed Professor McGonagall. She was wearing her usual tartan robes and lighting the way with her wand. She watched warily as the Transfiguration Professor carefully approached her._

_She hadn’t let go of Bellatrix. Why would she ? The much older woman had most likely seen or heard what she had said. Hermione knew that she should probably be worried but she found that she didn’t care anymore. She was so tired, she didn’t have the energy to fight anymore. And she didn’t have anything to lose at this point._

_Professor McGonagall crouched down once she was close enough and looked between Hermione and Bellatrix for a moment. She saw the woman momentarily frown in confusion and Hermione also noted a hint of sadness on her Professor’s face as she looked down at the raven-haired witch in her arms._

_Her voice was gentle, kind even, when she started speaking and her emerald eyes met Hermione’s teary and bloodshot ones._

_“Miss Granger, I don’t know what has happened between you and Madame Lestrange, nor do I believe I should be privy to that, but I can see that you are hurting.” she began, and Hermione hung her head at that, looking down at the pale witch in her arms. Her bottom lip quivered._

_“You wouldn’t…” Hermione started then sniffled. “You wouldn’t understand, Professor. She’s… She was…” then her voice broke._

_McGonagall’s eyes considerably softened. “I taught Madame Lestrange when she was in Slytherin. She was truly a brilliant and highly skilled student. The Brightest Witch of her Age. But you already knew that, of course.” Hermione weakly smiled. “You and Madame Lestrange are more alike than you think. If only she had the right support and things turned out differently for her…” she finished sadly._

_‘Yes, if only…’ Hermione thought as her eyes never left Bellatrix. She swept her dark curls out of her face. She had thought she had no more tears to shed but her eyes welled up once more and soft whimpers escaped her lips. She felt so lost and empty…_

_She flinched when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. “Miss Gran- Hermione.” Hermione looked up at that ; it was the first time the Transfiguration Professor was uttering her first name. “Of all my students over the years, you are one I hold in high esteem and one I would never refuse to assist should you need help or someone to talk to.” A shuddering breath left Hermione’s lips and she closed her eyes._

_“Let me help you through this hard time, Hermione.”_

_Maybe talking to someone wouldn’t hurt after all, she thought. Professor McGonagall knew Bellatrix personally, she had known her even before she had become a Death Eater and had most likely witnessed the changes the dark witch had gone through. If there was anyone who would understand, it was McGonagall._

_She took a deep breath and opened her eyes back up. The Transfiguration Professor was looking at her with such tenderness and kindess…_

_Hermione slowly nodded and her grip on Bellatrix lessened for the first time._


	3. Sweet Closure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all the kudos and comments! You guys are amazing. Here's another long chapter, I hope you all enjoy ;)

_I only call you when it’s half past five_

_The only time that I’ll be by your side_

_I only love it when you touch me, not feel me_

_When I’m fucked up, that’s the real me_

_When I’m fucked up, that’s the real me, yeah_

_I only call you when it’s half past five_

_The only time I’d ever call you mine_

_I only love it when you touch me, not feel me_

_When I’m fucked up, that’s the real me_

_When I’m fucked up, that’s the real me, babe_

The Hills, The Weeknd

Hermione blinked. The weight of those memories hit her like a ton of bricks. Her knuckles had turned white from gripping her desk so hard.

Her thoughts were racing like wild horses, leaving her no peace. Her breathing was getting quicker by the second, and her heart was beating way faster than it should. It was beating so fast that she feared it was going to leap out of her chest any second. And her whole chest felt so tight it was like she was being crushed.

Oh God. Oh God… She was shaking like a leaf. What was happening ? What had prompted her to have these hallucinations again ? It hadn’t happened in so long. She had had a fairly good day, albeit tiring, but nothing had particularly upset her or reminded her of… of… _her_ ! So why…

She felt like she was back to that terrible day at the Battle of Hogwarts. She felt like she was witnessing _her_ death all over again. She couldn’t bear it, she wanted to fade into nothingness. She squeezed her eyes shut as hard as she could and tried to focus on her breathing ; only her breathing.

‘ _In and out. In and out. In and out. In and out._ ’ she repeated to herself. She could do this. She had done this so many times before. She just needed to get herself back in control. _‘In and out-‘_

The image of the shocked and terrified expression on Bellatrix’s face seconds before she stumbled backwards came back to the forefront of her mind and it got harder and harder for her to breathe once again. And the dull pain that had started in her chest only spread further and seemed to get worse. And guilt suddenly overwhelmed her as well. It was her fault she was gone. It was her fault she had been so easily defeated. It was her fault for not noticing Greyback sooner. Had she been more attentive, the dark witch wouldn’t have had to intervene and get momentarily distracted. The dark witch had helped her so much and she had been unable to do the same. It was her fault…

She felt like her brain was vibrating very quickly, causing a low pitched humming sound in her ears. She tried to shut out the thoughts that were pressing in on her but it wasn’t working. She was reliving the same moment again and again. She was completely stuck.

She thought she heard something in the distance but the sounds were muffled and indistinct like they were underwater. She opened her eyes and tried to focus on something to ground herself, but her vision was bleary and she couldn’t properly see anything that was around her. She could barely make out the figure slowly moving across her office, the blurry figure that was moving towards her.

“Granger… going on ? … yourself together…”

Someone was talking to her but the world around her was buzzing in her ears. She frantically shook her head and put her hands over her ears, trying to get rid of the buzzing sound.

What finally brought her back to reality was a set of cold hands grabbing her wrists and moving her hands away from her ears.

“Bloody hell, Granger, focus on me.” that familiar voice, suddenly very clear and imposing, cut through her thoughts and her vision returned to her. She sucked in a breath. She was still in her office. She was still at the Ministry. She wasn’t at Hogwarts. She wasn’t back at the Battle of Hogwarts. She was-

She suddenly jumped up, her chair falling behind her, and wrenched her hands out of the dark figure’s grip and whirled around. “Don’t touch me !”

The dark figure that had been crouching down next to her chair frowned and narrowed their eyes, straightening up. They took one step forward and Hermione had opened her mouth to yell again when-

Wait- Touch ? She touched her own wrists and looked back at the figure, in shock. This couldn’t be- She was… She was here ? Bellatrix was here ? It was real ?

“Have you calmed down now ? Holy shit, had I known you would react like this, I wouldn’t have bothered to come here at all, pet. What was that ?” the witch huffed.

To say that Hermione was shell-shocked would be an understatement. She felt like her entire world was collapsing on her. Everything she had known up until this point was no longer true. She had seen her die. She had felt it. Her heart had stopped beating when she had held her in her arms. She had seen her body and the others’ being carried away. And she hadn’t heard of any missing body or escape. How was this possible ?

“No…” she weakly muttered, cutting off the other witch. “This is impossible…”

The dark witch’s head snapped back to her. “What ?”

“You’re not actually here… You’re not real…”

Bellatrix frowned again and her lips curled into a scorn. “What do you mean I’m not real ? What the hell, pet ?” Then she smirked. “I know my beauty is out of this world, I’m flattered really, but I’m very much real, Granger. What the hell is going on with you ?”

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and started pacing.

“You’re not real ! I saw you die !” She missed Bellatrix’s flinch at the word ‘die’, her hand instinctively going to the spot above her heart. “I saw it happen with my own eyes ! And I went to check to be absolutely sure later on ! You’re not real ! You’re dead !” Hermione’s voice slightly broke but she held steady. “This is just my brain conjuring up an image of you and it needs to fucking stop.” she finished.

Hermione raked a hand through her hair and continued pacing, unaware of the dark witch opposite her growing more and more agitated by the second. This madness needed to end. And it had to end right now. This couldn’t keep happening. She couldn’t keep on seeing and talking to a ghost from her past. It didn’t matter that she had been able to touch her, none of this made any sense. She wanted to live a normal life. She didn’t want any more heartache, she didn’t-

“Look at me.” the raven-haired witch’s firm and taut voice stopped her dead in her tracks. She briefly looked over at her and then instantly looked away. She couldn’t bear to look at her for more than one second. It was too painful. The other woman snarled. “LOOK AT ME !” she bellowed and reached her in three strides.

Hermione flinched and shuddered despite herself when her chin was roughly grabbed and yanked to the side so that she met the older witch’s angry gaze. She was aware of nails painfully digging into her skin, but she was frozen into place. “Look at me very carefully, you idiotic girl. Do I look the same to you ?” At Hermione’s lack of response, “Do I ?” she pressed in.

Hermione’s eyes slowly raked over the witch. The first thing that she noticed was the swirl of brown in Bellatrix’s eyes. Of course, she had noted that years ago, but her eyes had still been mostly very dark. Now, though, the brown colour seemed to take over. Her eyes didn’t have that crazed and blood-thirsty glint they once did.

The second thing she noticed was that there no longer appeared any dark circles under her eyes. Azkaban had hollowed her face, making it gaunt and skull-like, and there had still been traces of her imprisonment on her face even two years after her escape. Now, though… Now, her face had regained its natural colour, which was still very pale but healthy, regardless. There were a few wrinkles here and there, which made her all the more attractive. And the snarl on the older woman’s face offered a view at glistening white teeth.

What finally sealed the deal for her was the many grey hairs in the older woman’s ebony mane, a testament of the many years that had gone by. Where there had once been a streak of grey hair on one side, it had now spread to the rest of her head, mixing with her still mainly black hair and creating a beautiful mix of black and grey. Her thick black hair, which had become bristle after many years in Azkaban, had regained its shine and bounce, and each curl fell beautifully around her shoulders and back.

Admittedly, the dark witch had still been very beautiful even after spending fourteen years in Azkaban and having Dementors feed off her, but now she was… she was just perfect. The woman standing before her looked nothing like the figure that had appeared so many times at the outskirts of her vision. That figure had looked the same every single time : ash-coloured skin, grime covering a gaunt face, wild hair, a slender body wearing the same black corset dress. The person standing before her was a creature of beauty and legends. She was a sight to behold.

All air wooshed out of Hermione’s body and she let out a noise that might have been a dry sob as she softly muttered, “Bella…”

The dark witch’s eyes softened at the nickname. “Caught on now, have you, pet ?”

Tears slowly welled up in her eyes again as she croaked, “You’re… You’re really here ? This isn’t a dream ?”

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and stepped closer, her smell enveloping her once again. Hermione took a deep breath and her eyes fluttered momentarily. “I am.” was the simple answer.

And with that, Hermione finally willed her body to move and she slowly reached out a shaky hand towards the dark witch, before she stopped and hesitated. “Can I…”

Bellatrix smirked and nodded, carefully watching her.

Hermione braced herself, expecting her hand to grasp at the air again, but softly sighed in relief when her fingers touched the fabric of the woman’s dress and she placed her hand on her stomach, which clenched upon her touch. She could feel it move to her breathing. She heard Bellatrix’s breath hitch when her hand slowly moved upwards and stopped below her breasts.

She slightly hesitated. What if all of this just ended up being a sick joke ? What if- She shook her head. No. She needed to be absolutely sure. _‘You’re a Gryffindor, Hermione. And Gryffindors are brave.’_ she told herself before her hand finally moved an inch and stopped at the spot right above the woman’s chest, where her heart was.

And she gasped just as Bellatrix gave out a soft sigh. Her heart was steadily beating. She could feel it beating beneath her hand. She felt goosebumps rise on her skin, and before she knew it, she had thrown her arms around the dark witch’s corset-covered waist and lowered her head slightly to press the side of her face against her chest. She could hear the woman’s heart beating, and she closed her eyes ; it brought her much needed comfort. She wasn’t dead. She was here.

She felt Bellatrix stiffen under her embrace and she didn’t move for a moment. She was well aware the older witch didn’t know how to properly deal with displays of affection but Hermione couldn’t find it in her to care right now. By some miracle, the very person who had haunted her dreams for so many years was here, in her office, and she didn’t want to let her go. Ever.

Her legs almost gave out beneath her and she held on for dear life when she felt the older woman slowly move and wrap one arm around her shoulder, her hand drawing circles on her shoulder blade while her other hand dug into her hair.

“There, there, dove.” she cooed. “When did you become such a crier ?” she softly chuckled.

Hermione hadn’t even realised she had started crying. She slowly raised her head and looked at the raven-haired woman through bleary eyes. She was looking at her with amusement. She knew what the woman was thinking : _Bloody Gryffindors and their emotions._ Hermione weakly smiled and buried her head in her neck and inhaled her scent.

“God, Bella… I’ve missed you so much. I thought you were dead.”

Bellatrix gasped in mock offense. “Surely, you didn’t think I would go down that easily ? You wound me, pet.”

Hermione sniffled. “But I saw… H-how did you even… You have no idea… You have no idea how hard it’s been without you.”

“I know, dove.”

And just like that, Hermione stiffened and her relief at having the dark witch by her side again gave way to years of pent-up hurt and anger.

Slowly, she removed her arms from Bellatrix’s waist and stepped back, instantly missing the warmth coming from the other woman’s body. But she was bursting with questions and she wanted answers. She wanted answers now.

“What do you mean ‘you know’ ?” she asked in a low voice. “You were around all this time ?”

The dark witch scoffed and crossed her arms. “Of course, I was.”

Hermione blinked. She could feel cold anger wash over her and she said in a steady knifelike voice, “Let me get this straight : I saw you die, everyone did, but you somehow survived – you have yet to tell me how, but we will get to this later – and all this time, you were in England and knew how much pain” she put extra emphasis on the word ‘pain’, “I was in, but you didn’t bother to show yourself or give me a sign that you were alive ?” She raised an eyebrow. “Or did I misunderstand ?”

She watched as the dark witch’s posture gradually changed. She watched how her eyes, which had been soft a minute ago, hardened and narrowed ; how her nostrils flared and her jaw clenched ; how her shoulders tensed ; how her wand slipped into her hand and gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white. She was no longer laid back, she was on the defensive now.

“What was I supposed to do ?” she drawled. “What did you think was going to happen after the war ? That I was going to come clean about what I did and your precious Order was suddenly going to accept me with open arms ?” she spat. “That I was suddenly going to be granted a ‘second chance’ and all would be well ? Come now, pet, you and I both knew from the very start that it was never going to happen.”

Hermione took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had forgotten how infuriating and pig-headed Bellatrix could be. Twelve years hadn’t changed that in the slightest. Twelve years…

“Argh, you daft bitch !” the insult flew out of her mouth easily. “You can’t just pretend to be dead and disappear on _me_ for over a decade and then just waltz back into my life when you feel like it and think I’m going to be okay with it !”

“What did you just call me ?”

Bellatrix’s voice was so dangerously low that Hermione was actually rooted to the spot for a few seconds. If looks could kill, Hermione was sure she would’ve died right then and there. The dark witch’s lips were pursed and her left eye kept twitching in the way it did when she was seconds away from lashing out at someone. And she was gripping her wand so tightly that sparks were coming out of it.

Hermione would’ve cowered away in fear had this happened at the height of the war, but she knew better now. She knew Bellatrix better now. She probably knew her better than anyone else in the world. She knew this was just an attempt for her to move away from the topic at hand and avoid answering her questions. She didn’t necessarily take well to being interrogated. Lashing out and fighting were what she did best when she felt caged in.

But Hermione wouldn’t be intimidated by this. So, she squared her shoulders and met the woman’s threatening glare head-on.

“What ? Can’t face the truth ?”

She knew she should probably not antagonise the other woman and further aggravate her, but she couldn’t help it. The thought of her being dead had tortured her for so many years and she wanted to get back at her for putting her through this.

“You can’t face the truth that you preferred running away and hiding to facing the world and owning up to what you’ve done ? You can’t face the truth that you left your sisters and nephew alone once again ?” Her gaze never wavered as she spoke her next words. “Why, _Lestrange_ ,” she knew Bellatrix hated that surname and the older witch’s eyes flashed, “I would’ve never thought you were a cowa-“

She didn’t get to finish her sentence as Bellatrix snarled and lunged at her, slamming her against the wall. Her hand curled around her throat, squeezing slightly, while she pressed her wand to the side of her neck. “Tread very carefully, muddy.” _Oh, so we’re switching to the good old slurs now_ , Hermione thought with exasperation. “I think you’re forgetting who you’re talking to. Should Aunty Bella remind the ickle mudblood?” she asked, taking on that sickly sweet tone many knew her for.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She had long stopped being phased by the woman’s intimidating tactics. She was used to them by now. It was getting rather predictable and tiring.

She placed her hand on the woman’s hand around her throat and met her eyes, which had started to darken. “Go on, do it then.” she said defiantly. “What are you waiting for?”

The dark witch tightened her grip and opened her mouth, but no curse came out of it even though her wand pressed harder against her neck to the point where it was becoming uncomfortable. Hermione chuckled. “Thought so.” Bellatrix’s eyes flashed threateningly. “Coward.”

Bellatrix’s hand suddenly dug into her hair again and a shiver shot up her spine when her head was yanked backwards and the raven-haired witch leaned closer. “You know what I think?” The older woman’s breath ghosted over her cheek. “For someone who claims to have been so distraught after my ‘death’, you sure moved on pretty quickly.” Hermione froze and her blood ran cold. “You sure didn’t think twice about jumping into bed with the Weasel.” she spat, venom lacing her words.

That made Hermione struggle against her grasp for the first time, but the older witch pressed her harder against the wall. “You… You’ve been watching me? Following me?” Bellatrix only smirked at that. “I… You… Don’t bring Ron into this!” she screamed, and the dark-haired woman made a gagging noise at that. “At least he was here for me, he’s _been_ here for me, which is more than I can say for _you_!” she jabbed a finger at her chest. “ _You_ who left me as soon as the opportunity presented itself after everything that we…” she stopped.

Angry tears were starting to roll down her cheeks and she cursed herself for being so weak.

“After everything, what? You thought we were going to run off into the sunset and live happily ever after?” Her words cut deeply because that was exactly what Hermione had wanted even though she hadn’t realised it then. She wouldn’t have minded living out the rest of her days with the dark witch by her side.

“You’re an asshole.” Hermione muttered, wiping her tears away.

“Tsk! Who can’t face the truth now?” Bellatrix just smiled wickedly. “Using the Weasel boy to get over our schoolgirl crush now, are we, Granger? That’s not very Gryffindor of you.”

Hermione’s fist clenched and she started shaking. A schoolgirl crush? How dare she- “SHUT UP!” she yelled and pushed at Bellatrix’s shoulder. “You gave me no choice! You have no right to hold that against me when you just left! I could’ve helped you!” The dark witch scoffed. “Yes, I would’ve helped you! I told you I would try my hardest to keep you out of Azkaban after the war! As much as I hate it, I’m part of the ‘Golden Trio’, the Order and the Ministry would’ve listened to me! But no, you were so _terrified_ by the prospect of actually being given a second chance that you-”

But she didn’t get to finish what she was saying because Bellatrix had just pressed her lips against hers.

Hermione froze. The dark witch had her completely pinned against the wall and her body was pressed flush against hers, breast to breast, hip to hip, without any space between them. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt the other woman’s lips move against her own.

The dark witch’s kiss was demanding, it was heated, it was ravenous, it was ardent. It was everything Hermione had tried so hard to forget. God, it was so good. Had it always felt this good? Had they always fitted against each other so perfectly? She couldn’t help the warmth that spread in her chest and belly when the older witch removed her hand from her throat and moved it to the side of her neck.

And she finally gave in as she surged forward and gripped the fabric of the woman’s dress with both hands, holding on for dear life as her lips finally started moving against plump lips. So consumed was she by the desire to be closer to Bellatrix that she forgot why she was mad at her in the first place. All that mattered in that moment was the gentle press of flesh on flesh as they moved together.

She felt the raven-haired witch grin against her mouth as she reciprocated her kiss and Hermione felt her knees go weak when the tip of a hot tongue suddenly flicked against her bottom lip. She practically growled when Bellatrix surged forward and slipped her tongue smoothly past her whimpering lips. A moan erupted from her throat when their tongues touched and battled for dominance, causing her to tilt her head to the side and give the former Death Eater much better access to her mouth. It was intoxicating. It was everything.

Their tongues slid together in the most delicious of ways and Hermione moaned into Bellatrix’s mouth as she felt the older witch grab her by her shirt to pull her closer. She felt the dark witch’s hand on the side of her neck slowly move down, slightly squeezing at her throat before moving down her chest and over her stomach to rest possessively on her hip.

Hermione forgot how to breathe when Bellatrix sucked on her bottom lip and gently bit down with her teeth. And maybe the dark-haired witch forgot how to breathe too because she looked just as dazed and breathless when she let her bottom lip go and pulled away from her lips. The woman’s chest was rising and falling rapidly, and she was looking at her through heavy-lidded eyes, which were blown wide with lust. Hermione watched, entranced, as a pink tongue darted out to lick perfect, pouty lips.

Hermione whimpered when the other witch suddenly leaned further and buried her face in her neck, peppering it with hot, open-mouthed kisses. Her hands let go of Bellatrix’s dress and shot up to grip her shoulders to hold herself upright. She let out an agitated breath. This woman would be the death of her. Heat pooled down into her lower belly and rushed to her core when Bellatrix bit down on the spot below her ear. The feeling of burning desire nearly made her faint right then and there, and in that moment, she wanted so badly for the other woman to move her hands lower and touch her skin and-

Suddenly, the image of a red-headed man floated to the forefront of her mind and reality slammed into her like a high-speed train. Her eyes snapped open. _Ron. Good God, what was she doing? Ron was waiting for her at home, and here she was being kissed within an inch of her life by an ex-Death Eater. No! No. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He didn’t deserve this even if their relationship was going through a rough patch at the moment._

She struggled with herself as Bellatrix’s kisses moved from her neck to her jaw, and then she raised her head, leaning in for another kiss, but Hermione didn’t let her. She turned her head to the side at the last second and the dark witch’s lips landed on her cheek. Hermione slowly gripped Bellatrix’s shoulders again and this time, instead of pulling her closer to her, she pushed her away from her body and face.

“Don’t touch me.” she growled through clenched teeth.

Bellatrix licked her lips again and observed her for a moment before her lips stretched into a sly smile.

“Come now, pet, we were enjoying ourselves, weren’t we? Why would you have to ruin our fun?”

The dark witch swiftly reached out and moved to pull Hermione against her by the waist, but Hermione slapped her hand against the older witch’s, pushing her away.

“I said… Don’t. Touch. Me.” she said in a tight voice, forcefully pushing Bellatrix away from her.

The former Death Eater stumbled back a little but gained her balance quickly. Hermione walked around her towards her desk. She grabbed her fallen bag and started throwing random things from her desk into it. She needed to go home. She needed to go home to Ron. She had made progress, she had moved on, she had learnt to live without the dark witch in her life. She couldn’t let herself be dragged into this situation again.

“What are you doing?” Bellatrix asked.

“What do you think?” Hermione sardonically asked back as she closed her bag without looking up. “I’m going home.”

Then she flung her bag over her shoulder and her eyes quickly darted across her office, without once looking at Bellatrix, to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She saw the woman slowly move forward out of the corner of her eye.

“You’re going home to the Weasel?”

“Who else?” she replied dryly as she walked around her desk again to retrieve her coat from the coat rail. “And stop calling him that. His name’s Ron.” she added.

“So, that’s it then? You’re leaving, just like that?”

Hermione turned around and looked at the dark witch. She was leaning against her desk and looking at her with a glint in her eye. She was twirling something in her hands. Hermione looked down and her eyes widened. She was holding Hermione’s wand in her hands. Hermione silently cursed herself. She had been so distracted by the dark witch that she had forgotten it on her desk.

Hermione sighed and rubbed at her temples. Really, if she rubbed at her temples any harder, she was surely going to give herself brain damage. “What do you expect me to do, Bellatrix? You won’t answer any of my questions. What are you doing here, really?” She paused to give the other woman a chance to answer. And she held out her hand when she didn’t, “Give me my wand back, Bellatrix.” she demanded.

The older woman appraised her for a moment and then smirked. “No.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Oh, she had had enough of this woman’s games. She threw her bag down and reached the witch in three quick strides, “Bellatrix, give me my wand back. Now.” she said more firmly.

Hermione’s breath caught in her throat and her brain short-circuited when Bellatrix slowly lifted her hand and slipped her wand between her cleavage. “You’re not going anywhere, pet.” then her piercing eyes met hers. “At least not until I’m done doing what I’ve come here to do.”

“And what did you come here to do, pray tell?” she shot back coldly.

“To get back what’s mine.” the woman answered huskily.

“Wh-”

She suddenly found herself trapped between Bellatrix and her desk, the latter digging painfully into her back. The dark witch’s hands were on either side of her, making it impossible for her to move away from her. She leaned back a little trying to put as much distance as possible between them.

“What are you playing at, Bella- oh!”

Hermione gasped and threw her head back when Bellatrix surged forward and sucked at the skin below her jaw. She meant to push the dark witch away, but her hands got lost in her endless black curls and she softly sighed.

“Does he make you feel like this?” the dark witch suddenly murmured against her heated skin.

“Huh- what?” she huffed breathlessly.

“The Weasley boy, does he make you feel like this?” she growled. “Does he touch you like this?”

Bellatrix raised her head and roughly grabbed her chin between her slender fingers before Hermione had opened her mouth to reply. “I bet he doesn’t even know how to properly pleasure you.” she smirked and trailed her hand down her hip before grabbing it possessively again.

“What the hell?” Hermione snapped. “Is this all a game to you? So that you can ruin my relationship with Ron just like you ruined my entire life?”

“Oh, come on, pet, you and I both know you aren’t happy with him.” Bellatrix purred, pushing her harder against the desk.

She tangled her fingers in Hermione’s bushy curls, scraping her nails against her scalp. “You can deny it as much as you want, pet,” she started, and licked a trail along her jaw – Hermione’s hand shot up and tightly grabbed Bellatrix’s forearm, “but I know you want this as much as I do.” she whispered hotly against her ear.

“N-no, I-” Hermione’s protests died in her mouth when Bellatrix took her earlobe between her teeth, giving it a slight tug, and shoved her thigh between them. She let out a loud moan at the friction and blushed. God, she hated the way her body responded to Bellatrix even though she told herself that she didn’t want this.

As though reading her thoughts, she felt the dark witch grin against her ear. “What were you saying, pet?” she purred. “I can feel how much you want me.”

Hermione groaned. “I hate you. I hate you so much.”

Bellatrix’s eyes darkened and she leaned in closer, “Why don’t you show me how much?” she murmured against her lips.

Hermione flexed her fingers against the woman’s forearm in frustration. She sighed. She wanted this. As much as she tried telling herself she didn’t, she did. She wanted this so much. She had wanted this since the first time they had kissed all those years ago. And Bellatrix was here now. She was here and she was willingly offering herself to her. Surely one time couldn’t hurt? Just one time to get it out of her system?

God, she couldn’t believe she was about to do this. She was in her office at the Ministry, against her desk, in the arms of a woman everyone thought was dead, and she needed more. She did. There was no point resisting anymore. Not when the older woman was looking at her like that. Admitting defeat, she tugged the dark witch forward by her hair and kissed her firmly.

Bellatrix was the one to moan this time when Hermione’s hands settled on her waist, nails digging into the small of her back, and pulled her closer. Their mouths moved slowly at first, but suddenly the kiss became more hungry, more desperate. Bellatrix’s fingers tangled in Hermione’s hair again and pulled while her other hand slid down her back and settled on her backside, pulling her hard against her. They both moaned as their hips thrust against each other – the friction was delicious – and the coiling tension in Hermione’s abdomen set her entire body on fire.

The raven-haired witch pressed her harder against the desk, if that was even possible, and her hand slipped down to her thigh and under, lifting her leg and wrapping it around her hip. They both moaned again, more loudly this time, as the new position provided more friction between them. Bellatrix nibbled her lip for a moment before her lips moved down to her jaw, down her neck, licking and nipping and sucking, before stopping at the parts of her chest that were exposed.

Bellatrix untangled her hand from Hermione’s hair and moved it to her shirt, easily popping two buttons open and revealing Hermione’s lacy bra. She smirked upon seeing the colour – black – and buried her face against her heaving chest, leaving open-mouthed kisses there and sucking at the skin between the valley of her breasts. Hermione sucked in a breath and buried her hand in the woman’s midnight curls, pressing her face against her. She felt the woman give a low chuckle at that.

“Bella, I need you…” she whined.

The older woman chuckled again and gripped her other leg and lifted her off the floor onto the edge of her desk with one swift move, her heart spiking at the strength the witch possessed. The dark witch reached behind her and cleared her desk off with one swipe of her arm, sending books, files, and transcripts flying everywhere.

“Bella, what the hell?!” Hermione protested. “Do you know how long this is going to take me to tidy?”

“Oh, hush, pet.” she huffed. “Always the bookworm.”

Hermione opened her mouth to lecture her but was cut off by Bellatrix’s lips descending on hers once more. She hummed as she felt the other woman’s tongue trace her lips, granting her access into her mouth. Hungry tongues intertwined and fought for dominance as Hermione wrapped her legs around her waist. Bellatrix’s hands moved from her hips to rest on the top of her legs, her nails digging into the fabric of Hermione’s skirt, which had hitched up from being lifted into a sitting position on the desk.

As they continued to kiss, their tongues brushing against each other, Bellatrix’s hands moved to the hem of her skirt and slid under, moving them upwards once more and raking her nails across her thighs. Hermione hissed and almost came right then from the feel of the dark witch’s cold hands and nails digging painfully into her skin, hard enough to draw blood. She wanted more. No, she _needed_ more.

Hermione bucked up against her and a snicker vibrated through Bellatrix in response. She pulled back slightly from the kiss.

“And to think you didn’t want this.” she murmured against her lips.

“Shut up.” she groaned. “I need you, Bella…”

Bellatrix’s eyes darkened further, something she hadn’t thought was possible.

“Where?” the woman smirked and pressed harder against her, rolling her hips.

Hermione glared but didn’t offer a response. She wanted nothing more than for the dark witch to lay her on her desk and have her way with her, but if the woman was going to tease her, then she would tease back.

So, she slowly removed her hand from the witch’s ebony mane and moved it down her own body, stopping at the waistline of her skirt. She watched as Bellatrix observed her with rapt curiosity, and she slipped her hand into her skirt and past her own panties. She groaned and threw her head back when her fingers met slick heat. _God, she was so wet, and they hadn’t done anything more than kiss and grind against each other._ She touched herself for a moment and moaned when her fingers grazed her clit.

She opened her eyes back up when she heard the older woman groan and felt her cold hand on her arm stop her from further touching herself. She smirked and met the woman’s dark gaze, challenging her to do something. Bellatrix growled, her pupils dilating with want, and swiftly removed Hermione’s hand from her skirt. She instinctively licked her lips upon seeing Hermione’s arousal glistening on her fingers, and leaned in.

Hermione’s heart stopped beating for a second when the dark witch took her fingers in her mouth and started licking and sucking the digits, groaning at the taste of her. And Hermione moaned when Bellatrix looked up at her with wide eyes while she continued sucking her fingers dry. This was the hottest thing she had ever seen, and she could feel her core throb with the sheer want that she felt for the older woman.

And she rocked her hips harder against the dark witch when she removed her fingers with a wet ‘pop’ and captured her lips in a heated kiss, making her taste herself.

“Bella…” she breathlessly moaned into the woman’s ear. “Fuck me.”

The former Death Eater didn’t need to be told twice. She moaned and quickly moved her hands up Hermione’s arms and ripped her white shirt open, sending all the buttons clattering to the floor. Then, she removed the shirt from her body with urgency and a hungry look in her eyes and threw it somewhere behind her.

She took a step back and surveyed her for a moment, her eyes roaming over her upper body, gaze lingering on her still bra-covered breasts. Goosebumps erupted all over Hermione’s body under the woman’s intense gaze and she went to unclasp her bra when Bellatrix smacked her hands away.

“All in due time, pet.”

She reclaimed her mouth in a searing kiss before she attacked her throat once again, licking and nibbling along the front while her nails dragged down her back, and Hermione knew she would have to cover up the angry red marks later on but she couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but moan as Bellatrix kissed and touched her. She dropped her head back, giving her more room to explore her skin, her fingers finding their way into the older witch’s hair again. The woman’s hair was so soft, she couldn’t get enough.

She bit her lip when Bellatrix’s hands went under her bra and her fingers went over straining nipples, squeezing lightly before they started to move lower. Hermione could feel her stomach start to tighten and she feared she was going to come before the woman even touched her where she wanted her to. And she knew the other witch knew this if the smug look on her face was anything to go by.

Bellatrix’s hands finally reached the waistline of her skirt and moved down to the hem, lifting the garment up and raking her nails across her thighs one last time before her hands moved up her thighs with purpose. And a guttural moan tore past her lips when the dark witch pulled her panties to the side and she finally felt her fingers against her slick heat.

The raven-haired witch gasped. “All this for little old me?” she asked, her fingers teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves. “My, what a dirty little girl you are.”

Hermione’s breath hitched. “Bella… don’t tease anymore.” she pleaded.

“Have it your way.”

And Hermione let out a gasp and threw one arm over the older witch’s shoulder when she suddenly slid two fingers inside her and started thrusting, slowly at first.

“Oh, fuck!” Hermione cried and held on to her for dear life. “Feels so good…”

Bellatrix chuckled and kissed her as she slowly withdrew her fingers and Hermione let out a feral groan into her mouth when she slammed them back into wet heat, setting a strong and relentless pace _._ God, this woman was going to kill her, she thought as she ground down on the fingers that were filling her all the way up to the knuckle.

She wrenched her lips from the other witch’s and threw her head back, rolling her hips even harder, when her fingers curled inside her, hitting her G-spot in one straight move. God, this was incredible. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been fucked like this.

“You should see yourself. Such a wanton little thing in my hands.” Bellatrix hissed, nipping at the juncture between her neck and shoulder. “What would the Order say if they saw their precious Golden Girl being fucked by the big bad Death Eater?”

“Fuck. Don’t stop.” she whispered as Bellatrix quickened her pace.

Hermione gripped Bellatrix’s shoulder, her nails digging into the cloth.

She was so close. It felt so good to be in the dark witch’s arms and have her fingers buried inside her after dreaming about this exact same scenario for so many years. This… This was better than anything she had ever imagined. The woman was incredible and knew exactly how and where to touch her.

She moaned again when the dark witch’s thumb grazed her clit, tracing slow circles around it. She felt herself clench around Bellatrix’s slender fingers as she rode her hand. She was sweating and her hair was starting to stick against her forehead. She was going to come.

“Oh my God. Don’t fucking stop.” she breathed out as she buried her face into Bellatrix’s neck, leaving hot kisses onto the pale skin.

“You’re so close, aren’t you?” the other woman asked as she continued to thrust into her deeply. She could feel the witch’s pulse on her neck beat rapidly.

Hermione frantically nodded against her neck. She feared she wouldn’t be able to form coherent words if she opened her mouth to answer. She was going to come any second-

“Do you want to come, pet?”

Hermione nodded again. Bellatrix slowed her pace and she whimpered.

“I can’t hear you, pet.”

Hermione raised her head and met her hungry gaze. “Yes, yes. Bella, _please_!”

The dark witch gave a throaty chuckle and resumed her pace, her fingers curling inside her again. Hermione clenched her eyes closed as she hissed, and her breath quickened. She could feel her orgasm building up in her belly, she was already starting to tense. She held onto Bellatrix and arched her back against her.

Then, the fingers inside her stilled. And she almost cried at that.

She had been so, so close. Why did she stop? “Bella-”

But the dark witch cut her off. “Does the ginger moron make you feel like this, pet?”

“Wha-” Not this again.

“Does he?” she pressed on, grabbing her hair tightly and pulling her head back. Hermione moaned.

“Please. Please, Bella, I was so close. I-” She tried to grasp at her, but she leaned back a little, fingers still inside her.

“Answer me and you’ll get what you want.” she said in a low voice.

“Of… Of course not.” she choked out. “No one could ever make me feel the way you do, Bella, you know that.”

Bellatrix considered her for a moment and seemed to be satisfied by her answer as she curled her fingers inside her again, and Hermione sighed in relief, her eyes fluttering shut. The dark witch thrust into her a few times before Hermione felt her orgasm building back up.

“Ugh, Bella, I’m going to-” she moaned and silently prayed that the woman wouldn’t toy with her again.

“Come for me, pet.”

Hermione cried out when Bellatrix suddenly bit down on her shoulder and rubbed tight circles around her clit with her thumb. And that finally pushed her over the edge.

Her vision blurred and she saw a thousand stars as shuddering pleasure gave way to shuddering release. She trembled against Bellatrix whose fingers were still inside her, her thrusts slowing as she drew out every last second of her climax.

After what felt like an eternity, the dark witch withdrew her fingers and Hermione whimpered at the sudden loss. Her body went limp and her head fell against the older witch’s shoulder as she tried to catch her breath. She felt Bellatrix wrap her arms against her waist, drawing small circles on the small of her back, and she sighed. This was bliss.

Hermione pressed a kiss on the woman’s shoulder and finally raised her head when her breathing had gone back to normal and she felt she could form coherent sentences again. She met Bellatrix’s gaze and swept back one rogue curl that had fallen over her face behind her ear, feeling the other woman shudder at her touch.

“Oh my… That was amazing, Bella.” she murmured.

A mischievous smile spread across the witch’s face. “Oh, I’m glad you think that, dove. Cause I’m not done with you yet.”

Before Hermione had time to register her words, Bellatrix had swiftly picked her up, her hands resting on her backside, and she clung to her as the older witch moved towards the leather couch in her office. She threw her down on the couch once they were close enough, and the dark-haired woman moved over her to straddle her, resting her hands on her chest.

This position was reminiscent of that night at Malfoy Manor, but this time, the older witch wasn’t looking at her with fury and hatred in her eyes and her wand wasn’t digging painfully into her. Now, the dark witch was looking down at her with a fervid look in her eye and drawing patterns across her chest with her fingers. Now, she wasn’t being pressed onto the hard floor of Malfoy Manor, they were in her office at the Ministry and the material against her back felt soft. She sighed contentedly and placed her hands on Bellatrix’s thighs, pushing her dress up.

The dark witch snapped back to attention and she leaned down, licking a trail down her throat and moving down to pay particular attention to her collarbone. Hermione groaned when Bellatrix bit down, and she dug her nails into the woman’s thighs, feeling her hips jerk against her at the action.

The dark witch moved her hands down Hermione’s chest and around her back, unhooking her bra with one swift motion. Hermione slightly lifted her arms and the dark witch slid the straps of her bra down her arms, throwing it over her shoulder once she was done. Bellatrix stared deeply into her eyes, smiling evilly as she leaned down again and flicked her tongue over her nipple. Hermion’s back arched and she moaned, thrusting her breasts closer to the older woman’s mouth.

That must’ve been all Bellatrix needed as an invitation because the woman just attacked her after that. Her mouth wrapped around a rosy nipple and started to suck while her hand massaged her other breast. _Oh, holy fuck, that feels so fucking good_. The dark witch moved to her other breast after a moment and took her nipple between her teeth, tugging on it. Hermione’s back arched again, and she hissed, the action shooting liquid heat straight to her core again.

Only when Bellatrix had explored both nipples, leaving them wet and straining in the cool air of her office, did she move back up and reclaimed her mouth, her tongue easily sliding past her lips. Hermione groaned against the older witch’s mouth and her hands moved down her back, wishing they had gotten as far as to take her dress off as well.

Her fingers had moved to the laces of the corset when the dark witch grabbed her hands, pinning them over her head. The other witch sat up a little and looked down at her. Her eyes were black with lust and she could practically feel the heat between the raven-haired witch’s legs against her. And it caused the throbbing between her own legs to intensify.

“Bella…” she moaned. “You’re overdressed. Please, I want to see you.”

The dark witch smirked and slowly reached behind her back, reaching for the ties of her corset. Transfixed, Hermione watched as the other witch deftly undid the laces, the corset and her wand landing haphazardly on the floor. Then, she removed her arms from the sleeves and the dress slipped past her shoulders, pooling around her waist. Hermione gasped. The woman wasn’t wearing a bra.

Hermione dragged her eyes up and down Bellatrix’s upper body appraisingly. She had never seen someone so beautiful. The woman was gorgeous beyond belief. Her eyes and hands slowly moved over her soft stomach towards full and shapely breasts that were just waiting to be touched. Her mouth watered and she groaned.

Then, her eyes flickered up to her breasts and she froze when she saw the fading scar on the woman’s left breast, where her heart was. She slowly lifted her hand and gently traced the scar with her finger, feeling the woman’s breath hitch.

“Is this where…” she began.

“Yes.” was the simple answer.

“But how…”

Bellatrix suddenly grabbed her hand and Hermione raised her head to look up at her.

“Not now, pet.”

“But…” Hermione started.

“Later, pet, I promise. Don’t ruin the moment.”

Hermione blinked. And gasped when Bellatrix took her hands in her own again and moved them to her chest. The dark witch threw her head back and cursed under her breath when Hermione slowly started massaging her breasts, rolling her nipples with her thumb. A beautiful flush covered the raven-haired woman’s neck and chest, and Hermione marvelled at the sight. How was it possible to be so stunningly beautiful?

It wasn’t long before the other woman started to move again and leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her lips before her lips moved down her throat and she pressed their bare chests together. They both let out a whimpering moan at the skin contact. God, their bodies fit together so perfectly.

There was almost no space between them, and Hermione felt like it would be enough to tip her over the edge for a second time. And perhaps Bellatrix felt it too as she didn’t linger on her throat or chest and quickly kissed down her body, licking a wet trail down the valley of her breasts and over her stomach. And Hermione hissed when the older woman’s nose brushed the skin above the waistline of her skirt and her hands trailed up her hips.

The dark witch rested her chin on her navel and looked up at her. “Fuck, I need to taste you, pet.” she said in a husky voice, her hot breath ghosting over her bare skin and making her pulse jolt.

Hermione didn’t bother to reply, she just gripped the woman’s hair and tried to push her head down where she wanted her. Bellatrix chuckled but didn’t budge.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this, pet?”

Hermione whimpered. And jumped when Bellatrix slapped her thigh. “Answer me when I ask you a question.”

“P-probably for as long as I have.” she breathed out. “Bella, _please_.”

And with that, Bellatrix hooked her fingers around the waistline of her skirt and swiftly pulled it down her legs, along with her soaked panties. She then hooked her arms around Hermione’s thighs and harshly bit down on the soft flesh. Hermione’s hips rose to press herself against the woman’s face and-

She drew out a long breathless moan when the dark witch looked up straight at her as she claimed her prize and wrapped her lips around her clit. _Oh, this felt… this felt so, so good._ Bellatrix hummed against her, and the vibration ran up Hermione’s spine. Her body shivered and her hips bucked against the dark witch’s face. The older woman pulled her lips off and gave a slow and long lick along her slit. The sensation almost shattered her.

Bellatrix pulled off long enough to say, “You taste even better than I imagined, dove.”

Then she closed her mouth around her clit again and continued her ministrations. Hermione’s hand gripped the former Death Eater’s hair and pulled her closer against her as her other hand caressed the nape of the other woman’s neck.

 _How had they not done this all those years ago?_ Hermione wondered to herself. _Oh, right, they had been in the middle of a war._ She let out a loud gasp when Bellatrix suddenly slid two fingers inside her and started thrusting all the while sucking and licking her swollen clit.

“Oh, fuck, that feels so good, Bella. Don’t- I’m not gonna last.” she groaned.

She felt Bellatrix smile against her clit. “Wasn’t expecting you to.” then she picked up the pace. Hermione gripped the woman’s shoulders, her nails digging into the now bare skin and her eyes clenching closed. She was sure her nails were leaving crescent marks on the woman’s skin and she didn’t want to cause her lover any pain, but damn, her mouth worked so wonderfully against her. And she felt herself tighten against her when she pressed her tongue harder against her clit and curled her fingers inside of her. She was going to c-

The woman suddenly removed her mouth and fingers and sat up. _No, no, not again!_ Hermione sat up slightly, resting on her elbows, and glared at Bellatrix.

“What the fuck, Bella! This is the second time now!”

“Turn around.” the older witch said hoarsely.

“Huh?”

“I said,” she continued, grabbing her by the waist, “turn around.” and flipped her over, manoeuvring her onto her knees.

And her naked body was suddenly assaulted by the cool air of her office and a frown settled on her features as Bellatrix withdrew from her body and didn’t touch her. She heard a rustle of cloth behind her and was about to turn her head to see what Bellatrix was doing when the dark witch was on her again, grasping at her hips and pressing herself against her ass.

Hermione moaned. The woman had finally removed her dress, along with her underwear, and was now bare against her, her breasts pushed up against her shoulder blades as she leaned over her.

Bellatrix trailed her hands up her sides and squeezed her breasts, hard. Hermione groaned and rocked back against the woman, feeling her hot breath against her ear.

“You like that, pet?” she asked, her hand sliding down her stomach and fingers plunging back into her without any warning. “You like being fucked from behind?”

Hermione cried out, her skin was tingling with excess of sensitiveness, and rocked her hips harder when Bellatrix’s other hand grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back.

“Now, what did I say about answering my questions?” she growled, nibbling at her earlobe.

“Oh God, yes! Don’t stop, Bella. Don’t you dare stop!” she cried out when the dark witch’s fingers plunged deeper into her with a thrust of her hip. And she almost came when she felt Bellatrix’s slick heat against the back of her thigh. The woman was mercilessly fucking her and pleasuring herself at the same time, grinding herself harder and faster against her thigh. And it just made her wetter.

“You’re mine, do you understand?” she growled into her ear and Hermione just furiously nodded. “Not the ginger moron’s, not anyone else’s, but _mine_.”

“Yes, I’m yours!” she cried out when the dark witch sunk her teeth into the juncture between her neck and shoulder again, her thrusts becoming frenetic and rough. “Fuck, Bella… Don’t st- Harder! Fuck- I-”

“My, such filthy language coming from you, Minister Granger.”

And that did it. She dug her nails into the woman’s forearm; fireworks erupted behind her eyelids and she came with an earth-shattering moan just as the dark witch buried her face in her neck and let out a muffled scream of her own, her fingers still working inside of Hermione as she rode out her orgasm.

She groaned when Bellatrix’s fingers left her, and she instantly missed them. The older woman’s hand curled around her throat and turned her head to the side, forcing her to watch as she sucked her fingers clean of her juices. And her knees almost buckled beneath her when Bellatrix leaned in and roughly kissed her, loving the taste of herself mixed with the taste of the former Death Eater as she slid her tongue between swollen lips.

With renewed energy, Hermione flopped onto her back and pulled Bellatrix against her, the woman’s legs settling on either side of her. And Bellatrix let out a soft moan when her core pressed against Hermione’s stomach, rubbing against her anew.

Hermione smiled and pushed stubborn curls out of the woman’s face before her hand left her face and trailed down her body. She softly carressed the older woman’s neck, going over her Azkaban tattoo, before she moved on to her shoulders where she could see crescent marks and bloody scratches. She almost apologised but thought better of it at the last second. She sat up and leaned forward and soothed the angry marks with her mouth and tongue.

She smiled against the older woman’s skin when she felt her hands tangle in her hair and press her against her. She trailed her fingers over the woman’s chest and between her breasts, before wrapping her arms around her slender waist and bringing them closer. The dark witch’s hips bucked against her again and Hermione smirked as she lowered her head to kiss the perfect, rosy nipples.

Bellatrix hissed and threw her head back, arching into the touch. Hermione swirled her tongue around the straining nipple, feeling it harden further. She gently bit before she repeated her actions on the woman’s other breast. The older woman’s fingers scratched her scalp while her other hand painfully gripped her shoulder as she ground herself against Hermione, leaving a slick trail over her thighs. Hermione cursed silently when she felt another rush of desire shot through her at the feeling of the woman’s arousal.

She wrenched her mouth away from the woman’s breasts and recaptured her lips momentarily and moaned when Bellatrix scratched her nails down her back.

“Granger…” she grunted against her when they came up for air.

“What?” she asked slyly.

“You know what.” the woman growled and tugged at her hair.

“What is it, Bella?” she smirked as she delicately brushed her fingers over her belly, feeling the muscles quiver under her.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…” the woman muttered through gritted teeth as she grabbed Hermione’s hand on her belly and dragged it downward to slick folds.

Bellatrix and Hermione gasped simultaneously; the former at finally being touched by the younger woman, and the latter at the feeling of the older woman’s desire. The older woman’s desire for _her_.

Hermione slowly gathered the wetness around the woman’s entrance and spread it up towards the dark-haired witch’s swollen clit, without actually touching it. And she watched in amazement as the woman on top of her clutched to her shoulders and threw her head back, grinding her hips forward.

“All of this for me, Bella?” Hermione taunted, moving her fingers along her slit and pressing her palm against her clit.

The older woman twitched, “Shut up, Granger.” and moaned when Hermione’s fingers circled her entrance. “Fuck… Just…”

“What, Bella? Tell me what you need.” Hermione husked, her fingers pressing against her entrance, but not quite plunging inside of her.

Hermione knew she was teasing her, but the dark witch had tortured her earlier by holding back her own release from her and she wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine. And she also wanted to see if she would beg her. She knew that the former Death Eater was a control freak and didn’t give up control too easily.

So, she watched with amusement as the older witch pursed her lips and frowned, seemingly struggling with herself for a moment. And she mewled when Hermione moved her fingers away from her entrance when she tried to just take her in by thrusting her hips forward.

“Ask nicely and you shall get.” Hermione said, clicking her tongue in mock disapproval.

Bellatrix snarled and tugged harder at Hermione’s hair, mumbling something under her breath. She grinned, “What’s that, Bella? Speak up.” and her fingers stopped at her entrance again.

The raven-haired witch gave an agonised sort of groan and brought her face closer to her ear.

“Fuck me already, pet.” Hermione couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her body, and Bellatrix bit down on her earlobe. “ _Please_.”

That did it. Hermione slightly moved and snaked one arm around the older woman’s waist, her hand resting on the small of her back, and roughly pushed her down on her fingers, which easily slid into her.

Bellatrix let out a feral moan and threw her head back once more, sliding her arms around Hermione’s shoulders, as she started to roll her hips against her hand. Emboldened by Bellatrix’s reaction, she set a relentless pace and started to thrust in and out, watching how the woman’s breasts bounced with each pump of her fingers.

The former Death Eater was a vision. Head thrown back, curly dark hair sticking to her forehead, mouth forming a silent ‘o’, a beautiful flush covering her neck and chest, chest heaving with each breath she took. She was the definition of perfection in that moment.

The dark witch moved one of her hands to her throat, their favourite resting place, and squeezed slightly. And Hermione surged forward, taking one nipple into her mouth and roughly biting down as she continued to thrust into her lover, curling her fingers inside of her.

“Fuck.” Bellatrix hissed. “Fuck. Harder. Harder.”

Hermione didn’t need to be told twice. She let the woman’s nipple go with a wet ‘pop’ and moved her head up, easily swiping her tongue into her mouth as the dark witch suddenly gasped when Hermione did as she was told and pounded her fingers into her harder and faster.

Her wrist was beginning to burn from the effort, but she couldn’t find it in her to slow down. Not when delicious sounds were coming out of the former Death Eater’s mouth. Not when she could feel the older woman’s inner muscles start to clench around her fingers. She was almost there.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, don’t stop, pet.” Bellatrix panted as Hermione sucked and bit and clutched at every inch of available skin, not once slowing down.

Hermione moved her free hand up Bellatrix’s back and then slowly dragged her nails down, drawing out a guttural moan from her. And another wanton moan tore past her lips when Hermione’s thumb rubbed against her clit.

“Hm… I- I’m clo- Fuck yes!” Bellatrix gasped when the younger witch impaled her harder and harder on her fingers and she gripped her hair one last time before she clenched around her fingers and reached a shuddering climax.

Bellatrix’s hips jerked without rhythm and they continued rocking together until their body went limp and the dark witch’s grip in her hair loosened. Bellatrix dropped her forehead against her shoulder and didn’t say anything for a moment as she caught her breath. Slowly, Hermione eased her fingers out of the older woman, and she made a small noise of protest at the loss.

Hermione held her close to her as she collapsed back onto the leather couch, the raven-haired witch now lying on top of her. She slipped her glistening fingers into her mouth and groaned. God, the woman tasted so damn good. She had just found her new favourite flavour: Bellatrix. She would never get enough.

Bellatrix lifted her head from her shoulder and tracked her movements with bleary eyes. She looked thoroughly ravished but still beautiful. The dark witch smirked and trailed her hand along her jaw before she leaned it and softly kissed her.

“I’ve missed you, pet.”

Hermione’s heart soared and she took Bellatrix’s hand in hers and slowly brought it to her lips, kissing her knuckles. “Hm, me too.” she muttered and leaned her head against Bellatrix’s.

They lay in peaceful silence, Hermione staring up to the ceiling and tracing circles over the dark witch’s shoulder, and Bellatrix nuzzling her head in the crook of her neck. _I could get used to this_ , she thought. She wondered at how normal it all felt. They had last seen each other twelve years ago and yet, it didn’t feel like it at all now. She didn’t think she could bear to be away from the dark-haired witch again after what they had shared tonight. She didn’t think she ever wanted to let her go.

But there were still a lot of unanswered questions between them.

“Bellatrix?” she asked.

“Hmm? What is it, pet?” the dark witch hummed against her neck.

“What are you really doing here?”

She felt the witch still against her.

“I told you,” she began, “to get back what’s mine.”

Hermione huffed and sat up, removing her arm from Bellatrix’s shoulder. “So, you came out of hiding after over ten years just to have your way with me?”

“Yes?”

“You’re despicable.” Hermione said and swatted at her arm. “You can’t fool me, you know. You promised to tell me more, so start talking.” she finished, crossing her arms around her chest.

Bellatrix just rolled her eyes and tugged at her arm, pulling her down again. “I’m rather tired, pet. Let’s talk about this in the morning.” she yawned and threw her arm over her waist.

Hermione froze. In the morning? She looked around her office and her eyes stopped when they reached the grandfather clock on the wall. And her eyes bulged when the clock read: 1:30. Bloody hell!

She jumped up and started to flit about her office, picking up her scattered clothes and throwing them on haphazardly.

She was so, so late. Ron was probably worried sick. Or angry. Either way, it wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. Ron… Guilt washed over her when she suddenly realised where she was and who she was with and what they had just done. God, how could she have done this to him? When had she lost her morals?

She needed to go. This wasn’t right. Nothing about this was right. She should have never given in.

She silently cursed as she frantically searched for her wand. She was sure she saw it when the dark witch had undressed, but where-

“Looking for this?”

Her head snapped to the side where Bellatrix was sitting on the couch, holding her wand in her hands once again. She had magicked her clothes back onto herself and was looking at her with amusement.

“Bellatrix, give me my wand.” she found herself saying for the second time that night.

The older woman slowly stood up and walked towards her, all the while twirling her wand in her hands. She stopped mere inches from her and considered her for a moment, her eyes flickering between her eyes, before she spoke, “Come with me.”

“What?” Hermione was dumbfounded.

“Come home with me.” she scoffed.

“Home? Where’s home? Where do you even stay?” Hermione rubbed at her temples. She hated when Bellatrix got like this. When she said something cryptic and didn’t elaborate, leaving her to ask endless questions until she forced the answers out of the woman.

“Black Manor.”

_What?_

“What?! You’ve been staying there all along?” _Was this woman out of her mind?_

“Only recently.”

“Bella, this is so reckless! What if-” she started but was cut off.

“Oh, hush, pet. Save your lectures to other people.” she spat and crossed her arms, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. “Are you coming?”

“No.”

Bellatrix’s eyes snapped to hers. “No?” she repeated coldly.

“You heard me.”

They stared each other down for awhile, not saying anything. In that moment, Hermione wished she was practiced in Legilimency because the dark witch’s face gave absolutely nothing away and she wanted to know so bad what she was thinking right now. She was so unpredictable and obviously her mind didn’t work the same way as hers at all, and she seemed to think it normal to ask her to just leave with her after suddenly showing back up in her life.

She flinched when her wand was suddenly thrown at her feet. “Fine! Leave!” Bellatrix snapped, glaring at her. “Go back to the Weasel boy, what do I care?!”

Hermione quickly bent down to pick up her wand, then looked back at the witch who was looking daggers at her.

“Bella… Be reasonable about this.” she pleaded. “You can’t just expect me to leave my boyfriend overnight to leave with you. This isn’t how these things work. Besides, everyone thinks you dead. What would be my excuse?” she stopped, gauging the other witch’s reaction, then continued, “ ‘Oh sorry, the witch we all thought was dead isn’t so dead after all, and I’m leaving’ ? Come on, now.”

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and advanced threateningly. Hermione took a few steps back and cursed when her back hit the wall, again.

The dark witch leaned over her. “You don’t even love him.” she stated.

“You- You don’t know that.” Hermione mumbled.

“You were panting quite a different melody just a few minutes ago, pet.” Bellatrix chuckled. “Who did you say you belong to?”

Hermione looked away. She wasn’t being fair.

The raven-haired witch grabbed her chin and lifted it until they were eye to eye. “Answer me, pet.”

Hermione slapped her hand away. “If anything, this just makes things more complicated.”

“I-” she sighed. “Bella… let me go. Please. We can talk about this later. I promise.”

Bellatrix’s eyes flashed, and Hermione knew that piqued her interest.

She hummed. “When?”

Hermione bit her lip, and the other woman traced the movement with her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, she knew it was wrong, and it would not only ruin her career but also her entire life if they ever got caught, but this was the only way to get the woman to let her go.

And maybe, maybe deep down she wanted to see her again. _Just one more time_ , she told herself. She was fighting a losing battle, really.

“Tomorrow. I’ll come to Black Manor tomorrow.”

Bellatrix’s lips quirked slightly. “Tomorrow.” she nodded. And chastely kissed her on her lips.

And with that, Hermione slipped past her, grabbed her bag and coat, and opened her office door. And when she turned around to look at the dark witch one last time, she was already gone.

She would have to ask her how she so easily got into the Ministry, she thought as she hurriedly walked along the corridors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this was my first time writing smut. I hope I did a good job. I also threw a Carol reference in there, so I hope you all caught that ;)  
> I know some of you might have some questions as to what happened to Bellatrix and what she was up to these past 12 years, but don't worry I plan on working on a second part so you will get some answers then. I can't say when exactly I'll post it, but it'll definitely be in the coming weeks. 
> 
> Until then... take care, stay safe, and wear a mask!


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